The Fallen
by Stormsworder
Summary: Sequel to The Coming Darkness. Two years have passed since the defeat of the Ancients, and Danielle and Alex Roivas are living normal lives. But they are soon going to find out that the Ancients aren't gone for good... Scrapped.
1. Prologue

Dark clouds threatened to bring rain upon the land. A cool wind blew, but none noticed the darkness that rode in with the breeze. No living being was in sight that day. It was as if the animals sensed some unknown evil and wished not to be found by it. It was empty everywhere, and the wind blew through the town with a howl like the demons of Hades.

All of it centered on one long figure that now walked the streets, unfazed by the events around it. It was a girl in her early twenties. Her brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail, fluttered in the breeze. Blue eyes carried a dark and haunted look. A scar was on the left side of her face, stretching across most of her cheek. Her wrists bore thin lines of healing scar tissue. Her right hand bore the deepest of her scars, as if it had been pierced through. She wore green cargo pants and a white T-shirt, along wit ha slightly darker green jacket.

Any who met her would do their best to avoid her. One look at her scarred face would send shivers up a person's spine. Darkness followed in her wake, as if chasing her and trying to engulf her.

She stopped walking, a black-cloaked figure in her path. The figure's face was hidden by a hood, and black gloves covered their hands. Time seemed to stand still. Even the wind had fallen silent upon their meeting.

"Why fight the darkness? Why try to stop it? It's in your blood. You know it." The girl kept silent, her expression betraying nothing. "Oh, ye of so little faith. What hope do you have for the world? Why do you want the world to live when you yourself have lost all will to live.?"

The girl remained silent, a flicker of something behind her eyes. The scars on her wrists tingled, reminding her of what she had tried to do.

"Roivas, the darkness will win. Nothing you do will change it." The figure pulled back its hood, revealing the face of a girl just a bit older than her with brown hair also worn back. She almost bore some resemblance to the one in front of her. "You know it. Because it is you who will bring the darkness. You will be the world's downfall. For you have no faith in yourself, let alone the world. The evil in your heart is eternal. Nothing shall change that."

The girl, the youngest of the Roivas line and cursed by the darkness within, stared at the figure before her… and grinned.


	2. Normal Again

((Author's Note: Let's see... Just a few things. Rika Hikari is based off a good friend of mine, so I can't really call her my character. :P I do not own Eternal Darkness or Final Fantasy VII (you'll see why I mentioned FFVII later on). Just so you know, I couldn't think of a character to own the place where Danielle Roivas works, so I was joking with my friend in PE class, who told me to just make the owner who I have right now... :P Don't ask. I think I was hyper. Well, after so long, this fanfic is finally on the move))

Chapter 1: Normal Again

"You know it wouldn't hurt to go out and have some fun once in a while."

Danielle Roivas didn't even glance up from her textbook, focused on her work. "I can't, Rika. Too much work."

Rika Hikari folded her arms, a stern look on her face. "That's what I'm talking about! You always have work to do! The only nights you don't have work are Sunday and Wednesday, and then you don't even want to go hang out with me!"

Danielle sighed as she finished her last problem and set her pencil down. "You know that I do church and youth group. I'm already cutting it close with my job. If I weren't such a hard worker, I wouldn't even have a job right now."

Rika sat on the edge of her bed, frowning. "Why do you have to work, anyways? Can't your parents send you the money you need?"

"No, they can't," Danielle replied, shutting her textbook. She knew what Rika was going to bring up again, and she didn't want to talk about it.

"What's the deal with your parents? You act like you hate them and never talk about them."

They had talked about this several times since the start of their first year of college. Rika was Danielle's roommate and closest friend, even though they were opposite in several ways. Rika kept pressing Danielle about her family, and it was really starting to get irritating.

Danielle didn't reply as she changed into her black work uniform and khaki pants, but Rika persisted with her question. "Come on, Danielle. What happened? Did they get into a lot of fights or something?"

Danielle had slipped her keys and wallet into her pocket when she looked back at Rika, a hand on the door handle. "You want to know the truth? My parents are dead, Rika." Danielle slammed the door shut behind her as she walked out.

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Danielle was in a foul mood by the time she arrived at work. Some jerks had siphoned the gas out of her car, so she ended up having to get her skateboard out of the back of her car and use it to get to work…

The owner looked up as Danielle walked in, brushing a strand of black hair from out of her face. "You're late, Danielle."

She nodded, noticing how tired and wore out she was. "It's okay. Just go get yourself washed up a bit and get to work. It's not too busy for once. It may actually be a bit of a slow night."

Danielle nodded and quickly went to the restroom, washing her face off before heading out to server tables. The owner, Tifa, had been right… It was almost empty in here. "That's pretty weird, especially for a Friday night," she muttered, going to her first table.

_And just my luck. I get a table full of weird looking people, _she thought to herself. There were four people here, three men and a woman. All were dressed in expensive-looking dark blue suits that were crisp and fresh with the exception of one man's unkempt suit. There was a man with long black hair and an air of authority about him. Beside him sat a young woman with short blonde hair and a slightly annoyed look on her face. Across from the man with black hair was a young man with spiky red hair that was long enough near the back of his neck to be worn in a ponytail. He was the one with the disheveled suit. Beside him was a bald-headed man with several ear piercings and dark shades that hid his eyes.

Danielle took their orders, noting their different personalities. They all acted completely different, and they all seemed to regard Danielle with mild interest. Danielle suppressed a slight shudder as she went back to the kitchen, giving the cooks their orders. Even while she served other tables, she could feel the stares of the four suited people on her back the whole time. Thankfully, Danielle's shift was shorter than usual, since Tifa had told her that she needed to go and get some rest…

Danielle was finishing up at the table with the four suited people when the red-haired man knocked over his drink onto the floor. "Reno!" the young woman chided, although there was a strange tone in her voice, almost like she wasn't serious about it…

"I'll get someone to clean this up," Danielle said, picking up the cup and setting it on the table. She gave them their ticket, and the black-haired man put a twenty in her hand.

"Forgive us for Reno's clumsiness. We don't mean to trouble you or keep you longer," the man said.

Danielle shook her head, surprised that he had given her such a generous tip. "Nah, it's fine. You guys are my last table anyways." She slipped the twenty in her pocket. "Thanks, and have a nice night."

The man nodded. "You, too." He and the others stood up, walking to the register to pay for the meal. Danielle sighed a bit and spotted Tifa heading over to her. "Well, you really want me to go now?" Danielle asked.

She nodded. "You work harder than anyone else. You deserve a bit of rest. And the next time you don't have a ride, call me, okay? You look like you're about to pass out."

Danielle shrugged. "Someone siphoned the gas in my car, so I had to skateboard here from the dorm."

Tifa raised a slender eyebrow. "That's pretty far to go. No wonder you're exhausted." She frowned. "What's with the way people treat you? You seem like an average nineteen-year-old teenager to me."

Danielle sighed. "Beats me. People probably believe all of those stupid stories about my family. Anyhow, I should get going. I've got a long way back."

Tifa nodded, now looking a bit worried. "Okay. Take care, Danielle. It's not safe out there on your own in the middle of the night."

Danielle nodded back. "Thanks… Oh, and some guy spilt his drink over there, so we need a person to clean it up," she said as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. She walked away as Tifa went to the back to find someone.

Danielle headed past the register, stopping as a hand gripped her shoulder gently. She spun around, heart racing, only to see that it was the red-haired man from before. "Sorry about earlier," he began, his tone light and relaxed. "Really didn't mean to do that to you."

Danielle felt the stares of the woman and bald-headed man on her, but she kept a slightly cheerful expression. "It's okay. It happens sometimes. A split drink isn't something to worry about."

The man nodded, a slight smirk on his face. "Well, we come here often, so maybe we'll see you again."

Danielle felt a bit nervous. "Yeah, maybe. I… I have to go." Danielle pulled away, heading quickly out the door without looking back. She went around to the back, grabbing her skateboard from where she left it. Danielle went onto the sidewalk a good couple of feet from the restaurant before getting on her skateboard, glancing back at the building. The four people were standing there, the black-haired man at the front. He caught her gaze and smiled, but it wasn't a kind and gentle smile. It was one that sent chills up her spine. Turning away, Danielle took off on her skateboard, the setting sun blazing ahead of her as she left the suited strangers behind.

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The black-haired man's smile widened as he watched the girl depart. Things had gone exactly as planned. Better, actually. The only problem encountered was her slight suspicion of them, but that was to be expected. Anyone would be suspicious…

"Did you get it, Reno?"

The red-haired man, Reno, held up a small black wallet with a smirk. "Of course. She didn't even notice it." He opened it up, reading the information on the license out loud. "Danielle Roivas. Birthdate November 19, 1982, weight 145, female, height five foot five, two restrictions… This is her all right."

The woman snorted. "We didn't need to steal her wallet to find that out. It was easy to tell that our waitress just so happened to be the one girl we've been searching all over Rhode Island for."

"You talk too much, Elena," Reno muttered as he looked through the wallet.

"At least I'm not slow on the uptake like you are."

"Hey!" Reno growled, stepping towards Elena.

"Enough!" the black-haired man scolded. "That license gives us just the information we need. Elena, Reno, Rude, keep an eye on her. We can't let anything happen to her. Understood?"

"Yeah, yeah… I gotcha," Reno replied in a bored-sounding voice as he put the wallet in his pocket. "I still don't see what's so special about one kid."

The black-haired man smirked slightly as he began to walk off. "I'm quite sure that she doesn't see her own importance, either. You know what we were ordered to do. No harm can come to Danielle Roivas."

Reno stood back near Elena and Rude, a serious look on his face. "Consider it done."

"Good. I leave this in your hands. Elena, you will report back to me when the mission is complete or if something happens."

Elena nodded, looking just as serious as her companions. "Understood."

The black-haired man walked off without another word, leaving the three of them alone. Reno smirked slightly. "Let the fun begin," he muttered softly as he followed after Rude and Elena.

The Turks had arrived.


	3. Homeward Bound

Chapter 2: Homeward Bound

"You're just avoiding hanging out with me, aren't you?" Rika joked lightly.

Danielle chuckled. "Maybe. I won't be gone for long. Something just popped up in Newport, so I have to go." She was busy packing up a bag while she talked, putting enough clothes to last her for about a week into the blue duffle bag she used to use back in high school.

"But why aren't you just driving there?"

"Because I know you need the car so you can go visit your parents." She tossed Rika her car keys. "I can handle a dull bus ride, don't worry."

Rika caught the keys and smirked. "Just don't lose your wallet again, okay? It was bad enough the first time you did."

Danielle let out a sharp laugh, shaking her head a bit. "Don't worry. I'm not going to lose it this time."

It had been a month since the night she lost her wallet, and she had almost completely forgotten about the strange people she had met while waiting tables. Tifa had found her wallet outside in the parking lot the next morning and immediately dropped it off at Danielle and Rika's dorm room, giving Danielle a long lecture about taking better care of things such as her wallet.

Danielle zipped up her back, tightening the black fingerless gloves on her hands before slinging the duffle bag over her shoulder, the strap cutting into her neck a bit and forcing her to adjust it. "Well, you take care of yourself, Rika. I'll see you next week." As Danielle left the room, she felt a slight pang of sadness. Rika had invited her to spend Thanksgiving week with her at her parents, but then the call had come…

Inspector Legrasse of the Rhode Island police in Newport had said a man claiming to be Devin Sterling had been brought in to the hospital in critical condition. When he woke up he had been frantic about finding his "little sis". The only relative the police could think of that was still alive and fit the description was his adoptive sister.

Danielle walked silently through the streets, heading for the bus stop, deep in thought. It was an overcast day, clouds blocking out the sun. By the feel of the air around her, it was likely about to rain soon. Plus it just smelled that way… It was a bit hard to explain, but there was just a peculiar smell in the air when it was fixing to rain…

"Why am I thinking about something like that?" she muttered to herself as she finally arrived at the bus stop. She carried her bag with her as she boarded the bus, glancing around to find an empty seat. Most people didn't pay any attention to her, which she was thankful for. It was annoying to have them stare at the scar on her face like it was some kind of neon sign on her skin…

Danielle sat in an empty seat by the window, thinking about the call once more.

_He's been missing for two years and suddenly shows up in a near-death state. Just what happened to him? Where has he been, and why didn't he try contacting me or something? It doesn't make any sense…_

Danielle slowly pulled out the silver chain that had a single blue ring on it from under her shirt. Alex, her sister, had given her their grandfather's ring when she had been released from the hospital. It was all she had to remember him by. Alex had known their parents and grandfather more than Danielle, while Danielle had only seen Edward once, on the very night that he was killed…

"Mind if I sit here?" a woman asked, startling Danielle. She looked up, spotting a familiar-looking woman with short blonde hair and an expensive dark-blue suit.

Danielle shook her head. "I don't mind at all," she replied as the woman sat in the seat next to Danielle. Danielle gazed out of the window silently, her ring still hanging out of her shirt.

_Where have I seen this woman before? Maybe it was during work or something…_

The bus started to move now, setting off for Newport. Danielle hadn't been back since she started college. She had always expected to go back during the summer or holidays and hang out with Alex when she was out of college, but…

The woman beside Danielle held out a hand to her. "My name's Elena," she said, introducing herself.

Danielle hesitated before shaking her hand. "Danielle." Elena's grip was firm compared to Danielle's, as if measuring her…

"Why are you going to Newport? Family there?" Elena asked as she let go of Danielle's hand and sat back in her seat, trying to start up a conversation.

"Sorta. My brother's in the hospital there."

Elena looked curious. "What's his name? I may know him."

Danielle hesitated slightly, wondering why some random stranger she just met was asking all these questions… "Devin Sterling," she answered.

"Sterling… I know that name. My boss was associated with them before… well…" She shook her head. "I don't recall them mentioning a daughter."

Danielle thought for a bit. Someone connected to her adoptive parents? She wasn't expecting that. "I was adopted by them when my parents died. I wasn't exactly their favorite, so they never talked about me too much."

Elena gave her a sympathetic look, but there was something off about it. "I see… I should visit Devin while I'm there… I thought the Sterlings lived out in Highland? That's a bit far from Newport."

"They did, but Newport is as close as I can get by bus. I can stay at our old house over there at least. It's just going to be a long walk to get there."

Elena nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. "I'm meeting two friends in Newport. We can drop you off at your house if you want."

Danielle frowned slightly. "I appreciate it, but…"

"I understand. You don't trust me since you've just met me." Elena locked eyes with her, a strange look in her eyes. "I just want to help, that's all. I owe the Sterlings a lot, as does my boss."

Danielle hesitated again. Elena seemed sincere enough… "Well, I suppose. After all, you did know my adoptive parents."

Elena nodded, looking satisfied. "Thank you. At least there is something small I can do to repay the debt to your parents."

Danielle shrugged wordlessly, staring out the window once more. She watched the scenery pass by in silence, Elena just as quiet.

_I must be nuts to be going with someone I just met, but she seems trustworthy enough… And just where have I seen her before? Who is she, really…?_

Sighing softly, Danielle closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

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Elena watched as Danielle fell asleep, her eyes narrowing slightly. That had been too close. Of course, it was expected that Danielle wouldn't trust Elena. She had been lucky to convince the teen to trust her…

She looked Danielle over, frowning slightly. Why _did _Tseng and the boss want this one kid so bad? She didn't seem like much at all. Elena noticed the thing scars barely visible from under her green cargo jacket, the black fingerless gloves she wore almost covering them. What were those from…?

Elena shook her head, looking past Danielle out the window at the growing storm clouds in the distance. No matter how much she hated getting stuck keeping an eye on this kid, she would do it. Orders were orders.

_She's too cautious. She can read people better than the average person. Unless we're careful, she'll mess everything up._

Elena pulled out her cell phone, dialing quickly. Not many people had these, but she was one of the few that did… "We're coming," Elena said quietly, her eyes flickering over at Danielle. She was tossing and turning slightly in her sleep… "She's coming willingly. Be ready just in case." Elena silently hung up the phone without even saying good-bye, watching Danielle's restless sleep. One kid… How could one kid hold so much importance…? Elena looked away, patiently waiting for the bus to arrive at its destination nearly an hour away.

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By the time they arrived, it was pouring down raining, lightning crackling in the air. Danielle slung her bag over her neck, the strap cutting into her neck again as she rushed off the bus. She was immediately drenched in water, but luckily the clothes in her bag couldn't get wet because of the bag's material…

Elena grabbed her by the arm, shouting over the roar of the wind. "This way! The car's over here!" They both ran through the rain towards a black car with a suited man standing outside it, black sunglasses hiding his eyes. He opened the door for Danielle, allowing her to get inside.

"Man, you're soaked!" a familiar voice said as soon as the door closed behind Danielle.

Danielle looked up as a red-haired man passed her a towel to dry herself off with. Just like Elena, she had recalled seeing him before… "Thanks," she said as she took the towel, drying off her face and hair. Elena was in the front passenger seat, and the bald man with the sunglasses was driving. The red-headed man was in the back with Danielle.

The man nodded. "By the way, the name's Reno. We met back at that restaurant last month. Sorry for creeping you out like that."

Danielle instantly recognized the three people now. She had server their table and found them a bit suspicious. She instinctively grabbed the handle to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked.

Reno frowned. "Whoa, calm down! We aren't going to hurt you!"

Danielle hesitated a bit. "Just who are you?"

"Already told you. I'm Reno, you've already met Elena, and this is Rude." He jerked his thumb at the driver. "We didn't mean to creep you out like that back then. Tseng tends to do that."

Danielle relaxed, but only slightly. They seemed nice enough… Maybe she was just too cautious and paranoid for her own good. "It's okay. I shouldn't have freaked out just now…"

Reno smiled. "Don't worry about it!"

Elena glanced at them. "Would you rather us bring you to the hospital to see your brother, Danielle? I know you're probably worried about him, and this storm may let up while we're there."

"Okay. Sounds good to me," Danielle replied with a nod as she put on her seatbelt.

As Rude drove towards the hospital, Reno glanced over at Danielle, his left arm on the back of the seat, his hand near Danielle's head. "Anyhow, how'd you get that scar on your face? I noticed it that night. Got in a skateboarding accident or something?"

Danielle paused for a second, not really sure how to reply. "Uh, yeah, something like that."

"Reno…" Elena muttered, sounding annoyed.

Reno blinked quickly. "What? I was just asking!"

"It's okay, Elena. He didn't do anything wrong," Danielle said in a quiet voice.

Elena gave Reno an annoyed glare but didn't say anything, turning back to look out the windshield.

Reno gave Danielle a bit of a grin. "So, we're going to see your brother? What's he like?"

"Devin's pretty nice… Cares about me a lot. We'd always hang out whenever we could when we were younger, and he actually taught me how to skateboard."

"Ah, he sounds like a cool guy… So, he's your only sibling?" Reno asked.

Danielle shook her head. "Devin's actually just my adoptive brother. My sister lives up in Washington. She's almost finished with college, so she'll be coming back to Rhode Island in a few months."

Reno nodded. "I bet it's nice to have siblings, a person to hang around with. Me, I'm an only child. Always wanted a brother, but…" He chuckled a bit, shrugging.

"We're here," Reno said abruptly, starting Danielle and cutting her off before she could ask Reno a question.

It was still raining hard outside, so they had to run into the hospital to avoid getting drenched. Danielle pushed her dripping wet bangs out of her eyes as she looked around. Two years ago she had been in this very hospital, near-death with her older sister sitting by her side. She clenched her right hand into a fist, the fingers moving a bit slow and her fist not closing all the way. An injury that would forever remind her of that nightmare she had faced…

"Danielle Roivas?"

She looked up as a man with short black hair and a tan trench coat approached her. "Yeah, that's me."

"I'm Inspector Legrasse. I'm glad you could make it on such short notice. Come with me. Devin just woke up."

Danielle glanced at Elena and the others, receiving a nod from Elena. Danielle walked after Legrasse, noticing him carrying two Styrofoam cups. "Here. Knew you'd probably be wet and tired, so I got you some hot chocolate."

Danielle took the cup he offered her and nodded her thanks, drinking from it. It tasted a bit off, but it made her feel better. "So, you said Devin woke up, right? Is he okay?"

Legrasse opened a door nearby. "See for yourself."

Taking a deep breath, Danielle steeled herself as she stepped into the room.


	4. Dark Discovery

GAMERGIRL99: Heh, thanks a lot. This has a lot more original work in it than the first one did. And I'm actually learning how hard it is to add to originality. Heh...

someone: Thanks for the review, man. I plan on keeping up the good work, heh.

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Chapter 3: Dark Discovery

Danielle felt tears come to her eyes as she saw Devin. "Can I talk to him alone?" she asked Legrasse, who nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Danielle set down the now-empty cup, walking over to Devin's bed.

Legrasse had been right… Devin had been seriously hurt. His short black hair was messy and unkempt, and several cuts covered his face. His blue U.S. Navy shirt had been shredded, deep gashes visible on the skin beneath. His blue jeans were also cut up a lot, injuries visible beneath the tattered material. But most of the wounds had been centered around his chest and neck, like something had tried to burrow inside of him…

Danielle swallowed hard, trying not to think about it as she looked at Devin's face again. "Hey bro, can you hear me?"

Devin slowly opened his green eyes, wincing. "Danielle…?"

"Yeah, it's me." She gently gripped his hand. "How you holding up?"

"Been… better…" He frowned a bit. "You alone…?" he asked in a soft whisper. Danielle nodded. "Good…" Devin took a deep breath. "I know what happened to Mom and Dad… How they died…"

Danielle's blood ran cold, her heart skipping a beat. "Devin… I…"

He cut her off. "I know… You had no control… You would never hurt anyone…"

"I don't get it. How did you find out, Devin? I mean… I didn't think anyone knew. No one was there that night." She hesitated. She thought what she had seen in that vision was just a nightmare… Danielle had found out a few days later that it wasn't…

"A man… No, a monster… Pious Augustus… He tried to turn me against you… I went along to find out more… but I never doubted you… He told me everything… about the Ancients… about you… All of it…"

Danielle's eyes narrowed at the mention of Pious Augustus. "So, he told you about the Ancients…" She frowned slightly. "But how did you get hurt so bad? Did Pious do this to you?"

"No… I escaped… I knew Pious could find me easily… The servants of Chattur'gha… aren't exactly easy to run from…" Devin winced, and his voice was starting to sound weaker than before, as if he was straining himself to try and talk. "Something's going on… Something bad… groups working in secret… They want power… Ancients…"

Danielle gritted her teeth, once again surprised that someone would want to even summon the Ancients. Did they really think those monsters would give them power? If anything they would just kill the people or torture them for eternity… "So, they want to bring back the Ancients. Go figure… But Chattur'gha's dead, Ulyaoth bound, Xel'lotath sealed… There's no way they can be brought back, right? I mean, the Artifacts are all gone…"

Devin closed his eyes, looking exhausted. "There's a way… Be careful, though… Legrasse… I don't trust him…"

Danielle frowned a bit. That made two of them, then… "Okay. Just get some rest, Devin."

Devin opened his eyes a bit, gently touching her face, his fingers tracing the scar on her left cheek. There was a look of pity and sadness in his eyes. "Just… don't die on me, sis… Not after I've… got to see you again…"

Danielle nodded slightly. "Don't plan on it, bro." Devin closed his eyes again, lowering his hand and slipping into a light doze almost immediately. Sighing softly, Danielle walked out of the room, closing the door slowly so that it didn't make any noise.

"Did he tell you anything? Maybe who attacked him?" Legrasse asked. Danielle shook her head. "Oh well… Hopefully we'll find out soon enough. What're you going to do now?"

"Probably stay at my parents' old house. I'll come by again tomorrow."

Legrasse nodded, a strange glint in his eyes. "Farewell," he said as he walked off.

Danielle frowned as she watched him leave. He was really acting strange… She shook her head, walking back to the lobby, her hands in the pockets of her cargo pants. Elena strode over to her, but Reno and Rude were nowhere in sight. "How is he?"

"Good. He was able to talk to me at least. I'm going to come back tomorrow to see him, though." She looked around. "Hey, where's your two friends at?"

"Reno and Rude are waiting in the car for us. The storm hasn't lessened up any, though. It's good to hear Devin's doing okay. We'll probably come to see him later on, maybe a few days from now." She pause for a second. "I take it you're ready to leave? It looks like you get the creeps from being in this place."

Danielle rubbed the back of her head a bit. "I'm surprised you noticed it… I just don't like hospitals all that much, so yeah, I'd like to get out of here."

A small smile crept across Elena's face as they headed out the doors of the hospital. They ran through the rain and quickly got into the car. Rude drove off almost immediately after they were seat belted in, heading out of Newport. The buildings were soon replaced by the open country as they drove, and Danielle realized just how much she missed her old home.

Reno looked over at Danielle. "So, you live out in Highland, right? Rude knows that place like the back of his hand. Actually, he remembers his way everywhere…" When Danielle didn't reply, Reno fell silent and looked out the window.

_The Ancients… I thought the trouble with them was over… And now I come to find out some idiots are trying to bring them back into this world. But… it took Pious two thousand years to summon them. I know Alex and I used the three Artifacts to summon Ulyaoth, but those went missing when we beat Pious and Chattur'gha. So just how do these guys plan on bringing them into this world?_

Danielle looked up in alarm as Elena screamed something to Rude, spotting a black-cloaked figure in the distance before the car lost control.

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Danielle's head throbbed painfully as she slowly came around. She could hear frantic voices nearby, and yet they sounded so distant to her…

"_Elena! She's hurt! Help me get her out of here!"_

Danielle tried to open her eyes but couldn't. Something warm and wet oozed down the left side of her face. The whole left side of her body hurt badly. What had happened…?

Gentle hands undid the seatbelt around her, going along her body and gently feeling along the left side of it. The hands stopped when they touched whatever was dripping down the left side of her face.

"_Her head… It's really bad. She's bleeding from it."_

"_Be careful with her, Reno! We can't make those injuries any worse! You know what would happen if she died!"_

The hands now carefully pulled Danielle out, but even the slightest moment of her body brought fresh waves of pain. It felt like she had been hit by a truck going full speed or something…

"_Careful! Keep an eye on her, Reno! I have to help Rude!"_

Someone lifted her up slowly, and she felt warm droplets splatter against her face. There was a strange hiss from nearby, and it felt like something was probing her mind, testing it. Danielle opened her eyes slightly, the rain still falling in her face as she glanced to the right. She could barely make out the blurred shapes, but she could tell one was Rude. He was fighting something small with three spheres of green light in place of its head…

_Bonethief, _she thought to herself, panicking slightly.

The presence in her mind seemed to react to her thoughts and pushed in deeper now, as if trying to get inside… She heard a loud crack as someone fired a gun, taking down the Bonethief with a well-placed shot to the chest. The presence Danielle had felt in her mind vanished instantly, and she could hear the shouts of the others as they regrouped, Danielle still being carried in the arms of Reno.

"_The Ancients!_ _What are they doing here?"_

"_We need to get her somewhere safe. I'm betting they're after her!"_

"_Right! Let's hurry before more of them come!"_

Danielle closed her eyes, trying to make sense of what happened. So it really was the Ancients that had attacked. She could recognize a Bonethief anywhere. But how had they known about the Ancients? Almost no one knew about those accursed creatures, so how did three people she had first met in a restaurant know about them…?

She couldn't think straight anymore as her head throbbed painfully. A thick fog had settled itself in her mind, distorting her thoughts. She just felt like sleeping… Maybe when she woke up she would ask them about everything they knew regarding the Ancients. Danielle released herself to the unconsciousness she had fought against, and darkness engulfed her mind.

--------------------------------------------------

Reno followed Elena into the house, the rain finally having let up a bit by the time they had arrived. Rude brought up the rear, closing the door and locking it behind him. He turned on the lights, turning to look back at Reno and Elena.

They had made it to the former Sterling household. Elena had brought Danielle's bag with them from the wrecked car and managed to find a key to the house in the girl's wallet, which she kept in the bag instead of her pocket for some reason. The three knew that Danielle would be suspicious of them now, since they had found the house without her directions. Of course, she would probably be out of it long enough for them to discuss an excuse, even if it was unlikely that she would believe it.

"Find some medical supplies," Reno told Rude, a serious look on his face. There was no time for jokes or messing around now. If they didn't do something, it was possible that Danielle would die… Rude nodded silently and walked off, and Reno entered a bedroom as Elena went to grab some old towels and sheets. It didn't take her long to find them, and she put some of the sheets on the bed. Reno set the unconscious Danielle down on the bed over the sheets, blood staining the white cloth almost immediately.

"Just what happened?" Reno asked Elena.

"There was someone in a black cloak in the middle of the road. Something blew us off-course, and we crashed into that tree. I think it was a gust of wind…"

Reno looked at her in disbelief. "How can the wind get that strong in just a single instant?"

Elena frowned. "I'm not sure. It was so precise… The brunt of the damage was right where Danielle sat in the car. And did you see that Bonethief? It was one of Xel'lotath's. I think it was after her."

Rude came back in with some medical supplies he had found, ending their conversation. The three of them immediately got to work on Danielle's injuries. They all had knowledge of first-aid, and they were fortunate that Rude was able to find the supplies. Elena, the most knowledgeable in first-aid, treated the injury to Danielle's head, cleaning the wound and creating make-shift stitches for the injury. Reno and Rude worked on the lesser injuries that covered the left side of her body and her left arm, cleaning them and covering them with bandages. After what felt like hours, they managed to clean and bandage up almost all of the injuries. Danielle was still unconscious though, her skin pale, beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Concussion?" Reno suggested.

Elena nodded. "Most likely. We can't risk bringing her to the hospital with Legrasse there."

Rude spoke up now. "I don't think it's just a concussion. She's running a fever."

"Wait, didn't Legrasse give her something to drink?" Reno asked, a slight frown on his face.

Elena nodded. "This kid really is more trouble than she's worth… But how did the boss know something like this would happen?"

"How am I supposed to know? Reno muttered as Rude pulled out a small black case that Tseng had given to them. Elena had a point. How had the boss known Legrasse would try to poison the kid? Did he really give them the right antidote to use? This was all just too strange…

A knock from the front door made Reno's eyes narrow. "Reno, go get that. If the boss is right, that will be Legrasse."

With a nod to Elena Reno left the room, adjusting the leather strap on his right wrist. Cold steel pressed against his skin as he readied his weapon but kept it hidden in his sleeve. Reno opened the door, not at all surprised to see Legrasse. Something about the man just sent chills up Reno's spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end…

"Is Danielle Roivas here?" Legrasse asked, the surprise of seeing Reno quickly passing.

"Afraid not," Reno replied, keeping his voice even. "She went out not too long ago and told us to stay here."

"Really? And just who are you?" Legrasse's eyes narrowed slightly. Apparently he didn't believe Reno but didn't want to show it.

"Name's Reno. I'm a friend of Danielle's. Is there something you need?"

Legrasse's eyes narrowed a bit more, as if deciding whether to force his way in or not. After a few seconds he merely nodded. "When she comes back, tell her I'm looking for her. It's important."

Reno nodded back to him, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Yeah, I'll tell her." As Legrasse turned and walked away, Reno shut the door, locking it before going back to the others. "It was Legrasse all right. Told him the kid wasn't here, but he didn't believe me, I think. He knows she's here, either way."

"Then we'll just have to bring her with us," Elena said.

Reno shook his head. "We can't. Besides the fact she shouldn't be moved right now, we can't just take her there without telling her anything. That would probably just make things that much worse. We'll try telling her just a small bit about us and see if she'll come."

"If she doesn't?"

"Then we'll call Tseng to find out what to do. The plan's pretty much useless. And besides, we need to tell him about that figure that attacked us. I'd bet you anything that whoever it was, they summoned that Bonethief to attack."

"Wow. Reno knows what he's talking about for once," Elena muttered dryly, causing Reno to glare at her.

"Now isn't the time for messing around, Elena. Just call Tseng now and tell him what happened," Reno said, a hard edge in his voice. Even though Elena was obviously ticked off at being ordered around like that, she left the room to make the call. No need taking any chances of Danielle overhearing the conversation on the phone…

Reno stared back down at Danielle, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You have no idea what kind of mess you're involved in, kid…"

_And you probably won't be walking away from this one._


	5. The Turks

Chapter 4: The Turks

_You cannot escape what you are, Danielle. You thought you were free of the nightmare when it has never left. You will be my body. Through you shall my will be done. It is hopeless to fight it, Danielle._

_Danielle…_

"Danielle?"

Danielle opened her eyes a bit, blinking slowly. Where was she…? It looked familiar…

_My old bedroom?_

"Good to see you awake," a voice said softly. Danielle looked around slowly, spotting Reno sitting on the edge of the bed. "You took a nasty blow to the head. We fixed it up as best as we could and gave you an antidote to that poison."

Danielle frowned slightly, gently feeling the side of her head with her hand. The hair was matted with dried blood, and she could feel stitches over the skin. She lowered her hand, blinking slowly again. "Poison…?" she whispered in a raspy voice. Her mouth was dry and parched, and she felt beads of sweat on her face.

Elena spoke up from near Reno, standing with her arms folded. Rude was to the left of her. "We think it was Legrasse. We were lucky to have been warned of the possibility of this happening. That's how we knew to have an antidote ready."

Warned? What was going on? Danielle slowly glanced around, taking in the room again. This was definitely her old bedroom, but how did she get in her house? Had Reno and the others actually known where she lived? "Who warned you…? How… did I get here…?"

Reno glanced back at Elena, eyes narrowing slightly before looking down at Danielle. "After the crash we brought you here. As for the poison… Our boss warned us about it, said that Legrasse would try to use it to weaken you enough for him to get you without a fight."

Danielle closed her eyes. Legrasse? Devin had warned her about him, but she hadn't taken it seriously… "But how did he poison me…?"

"You took a drink from the cup he gave you, remember? It was probably easy for him to put the poison in there without you knowing it."

_The drink… There was something a bit off about it after all… I can't believe something like that happened to me. But what does Legrasse want with me?_

Danielle opened her eyes again. "I don't get it… What does he want?"

"We aren't too sure, to tell the truth. We're hoping to find out, though."

Danielle considered what he said. She probably wasn't going to find out any more information concerning that topic… It was time to find out just how they knew where she lived. "How do you know where I live, anyhow…?"

"We have the Sterlings's address from when they were associated with our boss. You could say it slipped our minds, and we forgot to tell you about it. Sorry."

Danielle hesitated. None of this felt right. Something about their story just didn't seem right at all. And their boss knew that Legrasse would try to poison her? She even recalled one of them mentioning the Ancients after the crash, when she saw that Bonethief attack…

"How do you know about the Ancients…?"

Reno shook his head, sighing softly. "I'm not at the liberty to say that."

Danielle frowned slightly, growing suspicious now. Why wouldn't they tell her? "Just who are you…? Who do you work for…?"

He paused for a second, as if thinking of how much to tell her. "We're the Turks. And as for who we work for… I can't tell you."

Danielle was growing irritated now. "Why not, huh…?" she asked angrily.

"Just can't. Orders are orders."

"I don't care about orders!" Danielle shouted, her voice weak. "I have a right to know!"

Reno kept his expression neutral, but a hint of anger crept into his voice. "Our boss doesn't think the same. He wants to make you an offer, though. Either you come with us and we protect you, or you can stay here by yourself and deal with Legrasse when he comes back. Your choice."

"Get out of my house," she growled, her head throbbing slightly. Her outburst of anger had made her head throb…

Reno looked back at Elena and Rude and nodded as he stood up. "Fine. Let's go, Elena, Rude." They walked out of the room without another word or a backwards glance at Danielle.

Danielle sighed tiredly and closed her eyes. Maybe she had been too harsh with her words, but if someone who had lied to her about who they really were and kept secrets from her expected her to go with them... She was just still out of it from the car wreck, probably…

She looked at her watch silently. Only two in the afternoon? Just how long was she out, anyhow? She couldn't remember what time it was when she left the hospital…

_I should go make sure they've left, but I don't even think I can stand up. I'm sure they left though. I probably should have at least said thanks for them taking care of my injuries, but I was just so mad… Who the heck are they, really?_

Danielle closed her eyes, feeling exhausted, her head still throbbing in pain. She knew she should call Alex, but right now, she couldn't even recall her sister's phone number. She was going to just sleep for a bit and then make the call whenever she woke up. Alex needed to know what was going on. If the Ancients really were back, they were in trouble.

--------------------------------------------------

Reno stood outside with Elena and Rude, the sun glinting slightly off the black goggles she wore on his head. His usually relaxed demeanor was gone, replaced by a serious look. He took out his phone, dialing Tseng's number quickly.

"She doesn't want to come."

There was a pause on the other end. "Then we have no other choice. Use whatever means necessary. Just don't kill her."

Reno smirked coldly. "Don't worry. We'll get her. She'll regret not taking our offer." Tseng hung up, and Reno pocketed his phone. "Let's go. We have work to do."

--------------------------------------------------

When Danielle woke up, it was nearly ten at night. She had slept for eight hours straight! She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. The wound on her head throbbed slightly, but not as bad as before. She looked down at herself, noticing the deep gashes that covered most of the left side of her body, even in the darkness. That wreck must have been really bad…

Danielle stood up, moving slowly and carefully as a rush of dizziness hit her. She shut her eyes, letting her equilibrium return to normal before she opened her eyes back up. She reached a hand out into the darkness and turned on the lamp beside her bed, blinking rapidly as the light came on. When her eyes had adjusted, she picked up the cordless phone from its received, pausing to struggle to remember her sister's phone number. As soon as it came to mind, she dialed the number quickly, hoping silently that Alex would be there to pick it up.

--------------------------------------------------

Reno and Rude stood in the basement of the Sterling household, searching for the fuse box. They had managed to get back into the house without difficulty, especially since Elena had decided to keep the key to the house when they left.

Reno spotted the gunmetal gray box on the wall, smirking slightly as he walked over to it and pulled open the door. "Bingo… Ready, partner?" Reno asked as Rude joined him, looking over all of the switches.

"Of course," Rude replied simply.

"Heh. Lights out," Reno muttered to himself, flipping off every switch in the fuse box, cutting off the power to the house.

--------------------------------------------------

"Yeah, I'm fine, Alex. I just took a really long nap when I got here," Danielle said as she stood near her room's window, staring out into the night.

"Well, that's good. You had me worried, especially since you promised to call me as soon as you got home."

"Uh, yeah, I'm sorry about that… I didn't mean to Alex. I was so tired I couldn't even remember what your phone number was." She sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Listen, I found out that the Ancients are back. Devin was attacked by them."

Alex gasped in surprise. "The Ancients? Not good… Somehow I knew it was too good to be true that they were gone for good. Danielle, whatever you do, don't—" The line suddenly went dead just as the lamp went out.

"Alex? Alex!" The only thing Danielle heard was dead air from the phone. She stared down at it, muttering darkly. Why did the power go out? It wasn't storming anymore… One glance out the window revealed that the light on the telephone pole a few feet down to the street was still on.

Danielle tossed the phone on her bed. There was a normal phone somewhere in the house that she could use to call the power company and find out what was going on. But first…. She was going to check the fuse box down in the basement just to see if one of the fuses blew out.

"I'll need a flashlight first… If I try and go down those steps in the dark, I'll end up breaking my neck." Danielle felt her way to the bedroom door, her eyes still not yet adjusted to the darkness. The flashlight was in the kitchen if she recalled correctly, and she had to go past the living room and foyer to reach it.

Danielle walked out of the room and stopped, frowning slightly. She thought she had heard the creak of a door nearby, but more than likely it was just her imagination. Her eyes still adjusting to the darkness, Danielle walked into the living room, her footsteps making the wooden floor creak with each step. If she remembered right, the flashlight was here in the living room. "But just where at in here…?" she muttered softly to herself, barely able to make out anything still.

"Looking for something…?" a voice rang out in the darkness.

Danielle gasped and spun around, her eyes scanning the darkness, but she couldn't see anything. She took a step back, glancing around quickly, trying to remember where she had heard that voice before. And where had it come from? She knew it was somewhere here in the living room…

"Scared like a little mouse," another voice said. It was one even more familiar than the first. "So, you got two options. You can come with us the easy way… or you can come with us the hard way…"

Danielle recognized the speakers now. It was Reno and Rude! "I already told you before. I'm not going with you. Now just leave me alone!" She looked around quickly again, her heart racing. She couldn't tell where they were, and when Reno spoke up again, his position had changed.

"Why do they always choose the hard way?" Reno said with a sigh. "Hey Rude, care to do the honors?"

Danielle frowned, then gasped as Rude replied from right next to her. "My pleasure." A gloved hand grabbed Danielle's arm, holding on with a grip of steel.

Danielle's eyes widened in surprise as she tried to pull her arm away. "Gah! Let me go!" she shouted. There was no reply as an arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her up. She could tell that Rude had picked her up and was carrying her on his shoulder. Danielle gritted her teeth, reacting on instinct as she rammed her left elbow into the back of Rude's head, a jolt of pain lancing all the way up and down her arm. He grunted slightly, dropping Danielle and holding his head while letting out a pained groan. Danielle staggered away from them, clutching her arm, unable to move it. She had made a bad move. Her arm hadn't exactly healed up from the crash enough for her to try and fight with it.

"You okay, big guy?" Reno asked Rude from nearby.

"No problem. Just a bit more trouble than we thought," he replied, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

_How strong is that guy? An average person would be knocked out from that, even if it was with my injured arm!_

Footsteps pounded on the floor as Danielle saw a dark shape lunge towards her, punching at her. "You're not getting' away!" Rude shouted. Danielle instinctively ducked under the punch, trying to uppercut Rude in the stomach with her right arm. The attack hit home, and Rude doubled over in pain.

"Guess it's my turn to jump in!" Danielle heard Reno say from her right. A smaller dark shape rushed at her, aiming a kick to Danielle's side. A burst of pain took her breath away as she stumbled sideways, struggling to catch her breath, her head throbbing painfully from all of the quick movements. She clutched the side of her head, wincing, barely managing to keep her balance. Danielle gasped in surprise as her legs were suddenly kicked out from under her, sending her crashing to the floor. Danielle groaned in pain, her head throbbing as she struggled to get up.

Uncovered hands grabbed her arms, folding them behind her back and holding her in place. Reno's voice came from directly over her. "Game's up."

Danielle thrashed around, still trying to get away. She heard Reno sigh, apparently annoyed. "Rude, hold her in place for me." Rude's gloved hands grabbed her arms, pulling her to her feet without any effort at all. Danielle continued to try and pull free, but Rude's grip never faltered.

"Let go of me!" Danielle shouted as Reno walked right up to her. Her eyes had finally adjusted enough for her to be able to slightly make out his face in the darkness. There was a regretful look on his face.

"You brought this on yourself, kid. You should have just come with us in the first place." Reno put a hand over her mouth, muffling her shouts. He pulled out a steel rod and held it up before her wide eyes, pressing a button on the handle. Danielle heard an electrical snap from it as he did so. Her eyes widened even more as he lowered it, pressing the tip into her stomach. She felt a tingle where the rod came in contact with her stomach, even though her shirt was in the way.

Danielle tried to shout for him to stop, but her voice was muffled and unintelligible. Reno pressed something on his rod without a word. Electricity surged into her body, making her scream in pain. Her cries were barely audible because of Reno's hand covering her mouth, and Reno continued to hold her in place silently, even though he was probably getting shocked slightly. Reno finally pulled the rod away and locked eyes with her. She was shaking, her face pale. Reno hesitated before raising up his rod again.

"Antorbok, Redgormor, Xel'lotath!" Danielle shouted, her voice still muffled. Reno looked surprised as three glowing green runes appeared on the floor around Danielle, and green lightning shot into both him and Rude, throwing them back to the floor.

Danielle immediately took off running for the front door in the foyer, wrenching it open and running out into the cool night. But just as she exited the door, an arm wrapped around her neck, holding her in place. "Gotcha," she heard Elena hiss into her ear as she pressed a cloth against her face, covering her nose and mouth. Danielle immediately held her breath as she caught a slight whiff of the fumes and felt herself get slightly light-headed. She struggled against Elena, trying not to inhale the fumes while trying to get free.

"I said… go to _sleep!_" Elena jabbed her elbow hard into Danielle's side while keeping the cloth against her mouth and nose. Danielle let out a gasp of pain, now inhaling the fumes from whatever Elena had put on the cloth, most likely a drop of chloroform. She immediately felt weak and fatigued, her eyes starting to close as her struggles gradually weakened. "Gotcha," she heard Elena say again as her own grip loosened in response to Danielle's weakened struggles. Danielle closed her eyes all away, losing consciousness as the chloroform knocked her out completely.

--------------------------------------------------

Elena held the fallen teen in her arms as she gave in to the chloroform. Reno and Rude stepped out of the house to join her, the younger of the two rubbing his head. "Mission accomplished?" Rude questioned, his arms folded as Elena dropped the cloth and picked up Danielle completely. She wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon. That chloroform had her knocked out cold.

"Yup, she's all ours," Elena said with a slight smile on her face, easily able to carry the teenager.


	6. Revelation

Chapter 5: Revelation

A blonde-haired man stood alone in a small office, the walls a plain white color. Maps hung on some of the walls, pins stuck into them at different points, as if the owner had been tracking something. Along with the maps were several bookcases, their shelves filled with various books ranging from history to volumes of information on the occult. The owner of the office stood near a window overlooking the forest below, his back to the entrance of the office and the mahogany desk covered with papers and folders.

The man narrowed his blue eyes slightly, hearing the barely-audible sound of his office door opening. "Do you have her?" he asked.

Elena walked in, accompanied by both Reno and Rude. The two men were carrying the unconscious Danielle Roivas with them, setting her down in the chair just in front of the man's desk. Her head rolled back, clearly revealing the long gash that ran up the side of her head from the car wreck, along with the several smaller injuries. "Yes, sir."

The man slowly turned around, unfolding his arms. He wore a three-piece white suit that was crisp and starched. One look at his attire was all it took to reveal that this person obviously had some money for such expensive clothing…

"I take it she resisted you?"

Reno was the one who spoke up now. "Tell me about it. I didn't think that kid had any fight left in her after the car wreck, but she managed to get both me and Rude good."

The man walked around his desk, peering down at the unconscious teenager. "Yes, she is very remarkable. Despite the severity of her injuries, she managed to defeat the two of you at the same time… No normal person would be capable of that. Of course, she's far from normal." He looked over Danielle, his eyes unblinking. "When her survival instincts kick in, it's as if she pushes all the pain out of her mind so that it won't distract her from her fight… Or maybe it's just the enchanted blood that runs through her that does it… It's impossible to tell."

Elena, Reno, and Rude glanced at each other. It was almost as if their boss had seen the fight himself. He hadn't asked for any details, and yet he knew that Danielle had fought with amazing skill for someone who had just been in a car wreck and probably got a concussion…

The man stood up straight, looking towards the three Turks now. "Take her to the infirmary. The first-aid you performed was just barely enough to help her. She'll need better treatment if she is going to recover from her injuries, not just basic first-aid. I will soon join you."

The Turks snapped to attention. "Sir!" Reno and Rude picked up Danielle once more, carrying her out of the room. Elena followed after them, but paused at the doorway, looking back at her boss.

"Sir, I have something to ask."

The man only slightly nodded. "Go ahead."

"How… How did you know that Danielle fought back? I know that we didn't tell you anything, sir."

A very slight smirk spread across the man's face, but his blue eyes remained emotionless. "Another time, Elena. Another time."

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"So, you've finally woke up," an unfamiliar voice said.

Danielle winced at the throbbing pain in her head and left arm, barely managing to force her eyes open a bit. She was laying face-up on a small bed with several pillows stacked up so that she was propped up a bit. Danielle slowly sat up, a wave of dizziness washing over her as she did so. She ignored the nausea that she felt also, breaking out in a cold sweat. Bandages were wrapped around her left arm almost completely, and one was on her head where she had been hurt in the car wreck.

Slightly dazed, Danielle looked around the room to find the one who spoke. A man dressed sharply in a three-piece white suit stood there not too far away from a plain brown door, staring at her with blue eyes, a few bangs of his blond hair falling in front of his face. She had never seen the guy before, and yet their was an odd sense of familiarity…

Danielle tried to fight off the daze she was in, struggling to clear her mind of the fog that had settled itself in it. She fought to remember what happened before waking up here…

_Those guys, the Turks… They attacked me when the power went out… I was about to get away when Elena put something over my mouth… Chloroform…? I fell asleep…? No, knocked out by it…_

Danielle carefully stood up from the bed, her legs shaking slightly but managing to hold out. She took a few steps forward away from the bed, now in the middle of the room. Her eyes flickered around the room, which was pretty much spartan in appearance. It was completely plain, the walls, floor, even the ceiling all made of concrete. There were a few bits of medical equipment present…

She looked towards the man in front of her now, eyeing him warily. "Who are you…?" she asked, her voice slightly strained. She was still messed up from the pain in her head…

The man smirked, but his face was devoid of any emotions, sending chills up Danielle's spine. "You aren't in any position to be demanding my name," he simply replied, starting to pace around her.

Danielle frowned slightly, following the man and not allowing her back to be to him. Before she knew it, he was standing near the bed she had woken up in. "And just what do you mean by that?"

The man nodded, and Danielle felt the cold metal of a gun's barrel pressed against the back of her head. Reno and Rude stepped up from behind Danielle, steel rods drawn. "You could be subdued before you even have a chance to move. And judging from your injuries, I don't think you would be able to fight against all three of them…"

Danielle swallowed hard, not daring to shift around a single inch. As if the two armed men weren't enough, she had a loaded gun to her head. She really had no chance of escaping.

The man walked forward, locking eyes with her. "I must admit I'm surprised that one such as you was chosen. You, a mere child." He cupped her chin in his hand, rubbing his fingers gently over her face. Danielle flinched, unable to pull away. "But of course, their evil knows no bounds… They'll take even the innocence of a child." The man traced the scar on the left side of her face, and as he did, Danielle felt a burning pain in it. "Ah… This was caused by Pious…" he murmured as he placed his fingers in the center of the scar, the pain fading away as if it had never been there in the first place. He locked eyes with Danielle again, pulling his hand away. "You are a very lucky girl, Danielle Roivas."

Danielle felt her heart skip a beat, all of her senses going on high alert if they weren't already… "Who are you?" she growled.

Once again, the man smirked. "I told you before. You're in no position to be demanding my name."

Danielle's eyes narrowed slightly, information on her surroundings shooting through her mind almost all at once. She didn't even feel her body's fatigue as she kicked backwards without warning, landing a powerful blow on Elena's shin, knowing that the woman was the one behind her. Elena let out a surprised cry as her leg was kicked out from under her, jerking the gun away from Danielle's head as she fell to the ground.

Reno and Rude charged in, swinging their rods quickly. Danielle ducked under them, dizziness coming over her, but she ignored it as best as she could as she grabbed Reno's wrist and twisted it tight. He let out a yelp of pain as she released the rod, but it was attached by a cord to a leather strap on his right wrist.

Rude came in now, bringing down his rod. Danielle released Reno's wrist and slid out of the way, blinking rapidly as she snapped a strong kick up into his stomach. Rude grunted slightly, getting knocked back and doubling over in pain. Danielle glanced up at the white-suited man and got to her feet, breathing a bit hard. She charged at him, throwing a punch at his face, but he caught it with ease.

"You may be the Liche of Xel'lotath, but I'm far stronger than you." Danielle's eyes widened as he slammed the palm of his hand into her chest, knocking her back and forcing the wind out of her. "You have guts. I admire t hat. No wonder you were able to resist her."

_How does he know…?_

Danielle was caught off guard as Reno and Rude suddenly grabbed her arms and held her in place. A sharp kick in the small of her back sent her to her knees with a grunt of pain. She winced, pain lancing through her left arm and her head. It was so bad that she could barely even focus, but she managed to lift her head to look up at the man as he approached. He crouched down in front of her, face-to-face with Danielle now. "If you wish to know my name so bad… I am Rufus Shinra, leader of the Turks, and the Liche of Ulyaoth."

Danielle's eyes widened in surprise, the pain in her body forgotten. Almost. "You're… a pawn of the Ancients…"

Rufus smirked. "I was. But so were you, once. Killed at the age of thirteen to force Xel'lotath to indwell you with her power in order to weaken her, you lived without knowing what happened. Then you killed your dear adoptive parents two years ago while under the control of Xel'lotath. You met Edward Roivas, who revealed the truth about your heritage to you. Alexandra and you searched for the truth behind his murder and instead discovered the Ancients. Pious revealed to you that you were Xel'lotath's Liche. And in that final battle, when Pious struck you down, Xel'lotath took complete control. Your own sister had to nearly kill you to save your life…

"I know that you've tried to run from the past. But you never can. The past will always be there, just as the scars you bear will."

Danielle frowned slightly. "How do you know all this…?"

Rufus's eyes narrowed, and he ignored her question. "What will you do? Will you continue to run like a scared little child?"

This touched a nerve, and Danielle's question slipped out of her mind as anger boiled up inside. "Shut up!" she shouted. "I'm not scared, and I'm not a child!"

Rufus smirked, as if she was playing right into his hands… "You are because you keep running. I fought it, tried to make up for what I had done while serving Ulyaoth. Just like you, I haven't been a Liche long, but I've done far worse things than you." His smirk had fallen away, and Danielle saw the first bit of emotion from him in his eyes. Sadness, regret… "That's why I had you brought here. If Legrasse got his hands on you, innocent people would die. Would you really want to carry the burden of being the reason more people have died?"

Danielle hesitated, her anger dying away. Rufus has struck home with that comment. She had never gotten over killing her parents. Even thought it hadn't been her in control, the guilt still gripped her heart. She didn't want anyone else to die. "No, I don't," she replied quietly.

Rufus nodded, appearing satisfied. "Good. That's what makes you human." He stood up straight, looking down at her now. "Let her go," he ordered. Reno and Rude complied after helping Danielle to stand.

Danielle looked around at Reno, Rude, and Elena, who were still watching her cautiously. She focused on Rufus now, staring him straight in the eyes, trying to keep her tone even. "I have a couple of questions about what's been going on."

Rufus nodded his head slightly. "I figured as much. Much has happened in two years. The reappearance of your brother is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg."

"What's Devin have to do with this?" Danielle asked, interested now. Her adoptive brother had been missing all this time, and now all this strange stuff had to do with him…

"There is a reason Pious sought him out. Chattur'gha wanted a back-up plan of sorts. If Pious were to fail and Chattur'gha defeated, the Ancient would have a way to live on. Pious was ordered to confront Devin and try to turn him against you. He made sure that no matter what Devin decided to do, he would take the place of Pious if he ever died."

Fear and sadness gripped her heart, her voice barely above a whisper. "So you're telling me that Devin is the Liche of Chattur'gha…?"

"More or less, yes. That is correct. He is the last remnant of Chattur'gha's power and one of the three keys needed to complete Legrasse's plan."

"And just what might his plan be?"

Rufus had a serious look on his face as he replied. "The revival of the fourth Ancient. The Keeper of the Ancients, Mantorok."

Danielle felt numb as she heard this. Mantorok? That was impossible, wasn't it? Pious had bound Mantorok inside the temple in Cambodia. Could Legrasse really do something like that. "Who… are the other two…?"

"Do you really need to ask that? I am one, of course, for I am Ulyaoth's Liche. And then there's you. But of course, you're a special case… You aren't just a servant of Xel'lotath. You're her very vessel."

Danielle shook her head quickly. "No… No… That… That can't be…"

"Unfortunately, it is," Rufus said softly. "It happened on the night you and Alexandra fought against Pious. You recall that Xel'lotath took control of your body, correct?" Danielle could only manage a nod. "Well, that wasn't a normal binding spell performed. If it was, your very body would be beyond the Veil of Reality. For some reason, Xel'lotath's spirit, which was controlling you at the time, was actually sealed within you. There's no telling why the spell did what it did, but that is the only reason you are standing here today."

Danielle wasn't sure what to even say. Her mind was reeling from the information that the very Ancient that had nearly driven her insane in those few minutes of being in control was now sealed inside of her very body. This definitely news a person didn't hear every day… But of course, not everyone was a Roivas and had weird stuff happening in their family throughout the generations…

"So… She… X-Xel'lotath… She's really sealed inside of me…? She's not gone from my body…?"

Rufus nodded solemnly. "That is why Legrasse so desperately wants you for his plan. Of the three Liches, you have the most power hidden deep inside of you. As clichéd as it may sound, you have the power to save the world or destroy it." He clasped his hands behind his back, slowly pacing around her. "And this brings me to my offer to you…"

Danielle watched Rufus walk in a circle around her, keeping in place and turning her head to follow his movements. "Offer…?"

Rufus seemed to be thinking to himself as he walked, falling silent for a moment. When he finally stopped, he was at his original starting spot in front of her, turning to face her once again. "Yes… We are fighting against Legrasse and the other Ancients. While the Ancients wish for him to be stopped, they also desire to return to our world themselves. My offer is this: If you agree to help us fight, we will protect you from Legrasse and the Ancients to the best of our abilities. We would even protect your brother, Devin."

"And if I refuse?" Danielle asked.

A smirk spread across Rufus's face, sending chills up Danielle's spine once more. "If you refuse… Well… Let's just say that I'm sure Alex would be torn with grief over discovering that her beloved sister had been killed so abruptly and in such a gruesome manner…"

Danielle felt her blood run cold, her body numb, her legs threatening to give out from under her. She couldn't even speak, her mouth dry, not to mention no response came to her mind. Was he serious?

As if to prove his point, Rufus motioned with his hand, and Elena's pistol suddenly pressed against the back of her head. Reno and Rude had their rods out again, electricity crackling along the steel surfaces. In one single move, Danielle could be brought down without time for retaliation. She had been lucky before, but not this time.

"It's your decision, Danielle Roivas. I hope you make the right one."

Danielle stared Rufus in the eyes.

She had no other choice. Rufus had won.

Danielle Roivas had a promise to keep.


	7. Deepening Shadows

Chapter 6: Deepening Shadows

Alexandra Roivas was frantic by the time her flight had arrived in Newport. After repeatedly trying to reach Danielle, she had bought a ticket for the next flight out to get there. The hours had crawled by with painful slowness, and Alex's heart was torn with worry and grief. What had happened? Was Danielle okay?

Alex paid the cab driver when they had reached the Sterling residence out in Highland. She almost ran to the door, twisting the doorknob without thinking. It was unlocked.

Alex looked around the darkened house as she adjusted the backpack she wore slung over her shoulder, sweat trickling down her face. It was pretty hot inside, like the air hadn't been running for a good while. She frowned slightly. Nothing seemed to have been disturbed. She reached out and tried to turn on the lights, but they didn't come on.

_Power must be out. That explains why the phone cut out when I was talking to her, since she was probably on a cordless one. But none of the other homes around here are without electricity._

"Danielle?" she called out, worry in her voice. There was no reply. Her frown deepening, Alex headed for the plain wooden door that led down to the basement. There must have been a blown fuse or something… The door creaked on its hinges as she pushed it open, and she stepped carefully down into the darkness. She used her feet to feel each step below her so that she wouldn't end up falling and breaking her neck. That was the last thing she wanted happening.

Alex's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as she felt her way around the basement, muttering darkly whenever she would stub her toe on something she couldn't see. She eventually reached the fusebox, much to her relief, and then felt the switches. They were all in the off position. "What the? That's strange. Somebody turned these off…" Her voice sounded muted in the dark silence that surrounded her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Shaking off the sudden case of the chills she got, Alex flipped on the switches, satisfied when the power came back on.

_Now to find Danielle. But why does it feel like she may not even be here at all…?_

Alex paused at the steps leading back up to the ground floor, going over her thoughts in her mind. If Danielle was here, she would have probably already turned the power back on and would have come when Alex called. So where was she?

"Maybe she left a note or something," Alex whispered to herself, a bit comforted by the sound of her voice, even if it did lack the determination she wanted it to carry. She returned to the kitchen, the floorboards creaking beneath her shoes as she headed down the hallway that branched off into the bedrooms. If she remembered right, Danielle's was the first on the left…

Pushing open the door, Alex glanced quickly around the room. There were several picture frames with photos of Danielle and Devin together, the two of them smiling and laughing. Posters of bands such as Kutless, dc Talk, David Crowder Band, and Skillet lined the walls. A variety of crosses accompanied them, and there was also a Garfield calendar hanging up near the door. But what caught Alex's eye were the bloodstained sheets that covered the top of Danielle's bed, old towels and a first-aid kit on the surface of it.

_Danielle was hurt? Why didn't she tell me? Maybe it happened after the power was shut off. Did the Ancients attack her?_

There were too many questions and not enough answers. Alex frowned as she slowly looked around again, spotting Danielle's blue duffle bag on a dresser. She went through it, digging through a couple of T-shirts, pairs of jeans, and socks. Strangely enough, it seemed that some of her clothes were missing. Danielle always packed exactly what she needed for when she was gone, so that meant seven sets of everything.

_So someone took some. Who though? I doubt it was Danielle…_

She continued to dig through the back, randomly noting the other things that were inside of it. A three-ring binder, a CD player and CD case, a journal, her Alex Rider books that she loved to read so much…

Her eyes fell on the journal, and she dismissed the thought as soon as it came to mind. She wasn't going to look through Danielle's personal thoughts. And yet… even as she stared at it, she recalled Danielle's struggle in the hospital two years ago. She had barely survived when her life had been shredded apart by the Ancients. When she had been released, she had gone through a terrible depression, likely brought on by whatever mental torture she had endured when Xel'lotath had controlled her.

"Don't think about it," Alex told herself quietly, shaking her head. It hurt too much to think about the night she had caught her little sister trying to take her own life…

There was a loud thump nearby, along with a low moan. Alex froze in place, her heart racing. "Danielle…?" she called out hesitantly. There was no reply, but the sound of plodding footsteps slowly approached, as if whoever was coming this way was limping. There was a sloshing sound with every step, like water falling to the floor. The stench of diseased and rotting flesh permeated the room, making Alex want to gag.

"No… No way…" Alex whispered, taking a step back as the figure stepped through the doorway. She instantly recognized the blue-skinned creature before her, even as it turned its eyeless head towards her. It was something she had read about but never encountered herself. It was an Ulyaoth zombie, a servant of the Ancient Alex and Danielle had used to defeat Chattur'gha. But how was it here? And why?

The zombie limped towards Alex, one rotting arm outstretched as it let out a mewl of hunger, liquid trickling from its mouth. Alex looked around frantically, searching for a way to fight it but finding none. Something pressed against her back in her bag as she took another step away from the creature, and that was when she remembered that she had the Tomb of Eternal Darkness in her bag…

_Magick! Please, let this work!_

Alex focused hard, calling upon the magickal runes that were stored within the book, feeling a slight drain on her energy. Three green runes appeared on the ground, an otherworldly voice saying their names as they appeared, the green light making her surroundings seem alien. "Antorbok, Redgormor, Xel'lotath…"

Green lightning surged through the floor and into the zombie, knocking it down to the ground. It thrashed around, struggling to get up as Alex ran past it and out into the hallway. Her feet pounded on the wood floor before she came to a halt in the living room, letting out a startled gasp.

Two Ulyaoth Bonethieves and another Ulyaoth zombie blocked her way. They all turned their heads toward her, the zombie shambling in her direction as the Bonethieves' claws ticked across the wood. Even as she took a step back, she could hear the zombie behind her get to its feet. She was trapped. She didn't even have the time to cast a magick spell, the monsters closing in on her.

_And there's no way I can run past. The Bonethieves are too fast. No, this can't be the end… I can't die! I have to find Danielle!_

Something whizzed past Alex's head. When she looked back, she saw the Ulyaoth zombie fall to the ground with a dull thump, a piece of yellow steel in its forehead before it faded away.

_A kunai…? Like in those shows with the Japanese ninjas…?_

Alex looked forward once more to find a black-cloaked figure standing in the doorway to the house. Four yellow kunai were held in each of its fists in between its knuckles. The Bonethieves turned to the newcomer, letting out low hisses. One leapt at the figure, but it moved lightning-quick to dodge. The kunai sliced through the monster's neck with ease as the figure threw the ones in its left fist at the remaining Bonethief. In the blink of an eye they were both taking out, their bodies vanishing from sight. The figure leapt forward at the last remaining creature, the Ulyaoth zombie, and thrust the kunai in its right fist directly into the monster's chest. The zombie seized up, twitching before collapsing to the ground and fading away.

Alex stared in awe at the figure that saved her life. Just who was this mysterious figure? They fought with a skill that Alex had never seen before. It was almost impossible for anyone to move with that much amazing speed!

The figure approached Alex now, the kunai it held vanishing. Its face was hidden beneath the shadows cast by the hood of its black cloak. "Are you okay?" a female voice asked in a harsh and uncaring tone.

"Yes, I am," Alex replied, a bit surprised by the coldness of this woman's voice. "Thank you, but… Just who are you?"

"It doesn't matter. You don't need to know," the woman snapped back irritably.

Alex frowned. Even if this woman did save her life, she didn't trust mysterious people dressed in black cloaks who refused to give their name. "Then why are you here in my sister's house? Where is she?"

The woman laughed sharply, but it was devoid of any trace of humor. "Ah, so _you're _Alexandra Roivas! I see the resemblance now. You two have the same eyes."

Alex immediately grew alarmed, her senses going on high alert. This woman knew about both her and Danielle. "How do you know who I am? Who are you? Where's Danielle!?"

"What is this, Twenty Questions?" the woman growled, sounding annoyed. "I don't need to tell you anything." She turned away, walking towards the door. "As for your precious sister… You have to find her yourself." Without giving Alex a chance to reply, the woman left the house.

Alex ran to the door and looked around quickly, but there was no trace of the woman. She had vanished into thin air.

She stood there, beads of sweat on her forehead, a confused and worried look on her face. What was going on? She came here searching for answers and only found more questions. What had happened to Danielle? Who was this woman, and what did she want with the Roivas?

"Danielle, wherever you are, be safe… I think we may have more than just the Ancients to deal with…" Alex whispered softly.

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Danielle sat on the edge of the bed that was now hers in Elena's room, rubbing her eyes with her right hand. Apparently this Rufus guy wanted to try and get her to trust him more, since he had given her freedom to roam around the place and look around, just so long as she didn't try to leave. Of course, Danielle hadn't really felt up to walking around, much less exploring.

She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about Rufus. He was interesting, that was for sure… But why had Danielle never seen him mentioned in the Tome of Eternal Darkness? Were pages still missing when Alex and she had read it? It was possible…

_The Liche of Ulyaoth… And he wants to protect Devin and me from Legrasse, who is planning on using us and Rufus to revive Mantorok, the great Keeper of the Ancients. None of this makes sense though. Wasn't Mantorok on our side? He helped us to beat the Ancients! So why is he after us? We aren't helping those monsters… Geeze, I'm still dealing with the fact that Xel'lotath is inside of me!_

Danielle laid back on the bed, closing her eyes. Everything was happening too fast for her. First Devin coming back and now this? It seemed just like the night she had met Alex. One thing came after another, like she had gotten the wind knocked out of her and wasn't even given the chance to catch her breath before another blow came…

The door opened, making Danielle open her eyes. Elena entered, taking off the jacket of her suit that she always seemed to wear. "How's your head doing?" she asked

"Better. It still hurts though."

Elena rolled up the sleeves of her undershirt to her elbows, walking over to Danielle. "Figures. Even if you are stronger than the average person and heal faster like the boss says you do, this will take some time to recover from. You did have your head sliced open."

_Like I need a reminder,_ Danielle thought dryly to herself as Elena carefully unwrapped the bandages around Danielle's left arm to reveal the gash that ran down it. "Can you move your arm any?"

Danielle paused before lifting up her left arm slightly. She could barely raise it a few centimeters from the bed before a massive burst of pain lanced through it. "Not really…"

"Hmph. Doesn't surprise me. I heard what you did to Rude. I would think you would have been smart enough to not ram the elbow of your injured arm right into his head. And trying to take on the boss himself?" She shook her head, cleaning the dried blood from Danielle's arm with some water. "I have no idea exactly what you were thinking or what you've been through in the past two years, but I think even you should know your limits." Danielle was hissing in pain through clenched teeth as Elena worked on her arm, willing herself not to cry out.

_At least it's not peroxide. That stuff _hurts!

Danielle glanced at Elena, whose attention was completely on Danielle's arm. Was she actually worried about Danielle? "Yeah, well… When you have people trying to capture you and you have no idea what their true motives are, I'm sure that even someone like you wouldn't go quietly, even if you were hurt."

This brought a slight smirk from Elena. "Heh. You have spunk, that's for sure." She wrapped her arm in fresh bandages, putting them on tight and eliciting a slight yelp of pain from Danielle. "Hold still now. If you move around, this is going to hurt even worse.

Danielle let out a slight groan. "Gah, I feel like I'm in the hospital all over again…" she muttered softly as Elena checked her stitches on the side of her head. She looked forward, cringing slightly in pain. "Anyhow, any news on Devin?"

Elena barely nodded. "Yeah. The boss wanted me to tell you that we're going to get your brother soon. Once he's recovered enough, we'll bring him here and get him out from Legrasse's grasp.

Danielle closed her eyes, a dull throbbing pain building up in her left arm now. "That's good to know. But what about Alex?"

"Your sister? We haven't got in contact with her yet. She won't answer her phone at her residence in Washington, so we assume that she may have come here to look for you."

"That doesn't surprise me. She's probably really worried about me, especially since the phone had gotten cut out when you guys shut off the power when you came after me…" Danielle opened her eyes again, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Before the wreck, I saw someone in the road wearing a black cloak… Who was that?"

Elena paused, and Danielle glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. The Turk didn't seem sure. "I… I don't really know, and neither does anyone else." She finished checking the last of Danielle's injuries and slowly stood up, wiping her hands on an old towel. "But… Rufus has a slight idea of who they may be."

Danielle's eyes narrowed slightly as she grew more focused on what the Turk was saying. Elena never called Rufus by his name, always referring to him as "the boss"…

Elena rolled down her sleeves and undid the tie she wore, a distant look in her eyes the entire time. "He's not one hundred percent positive about this, but… He thinks these guys may be a group that's obsessed with these weird creatures that are related in some way to the Ancients. This group… They call themselves Organization XIII…"


	8. Searching for Answers

Ikaaro: Actually, I just took the characters from Final Fantasy VII and the Organization from Kingdom Hearts. Other than that, there are no actual ties to those games. I'm sorry about Alex being downplayed, but I didn't think about doing too much with her until later on. I hope you like it though.

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Chapter 7: Searching for Answers

Alex drummed her fingers on the counter-top impatiently, glancing at her watch on her left wrist. Two in the afternoon. She held a phone to her ear, listening to the repetitive ringing tone.

She had checked in at a hotel after her encounter with the strange cloaked woman, not really keen on staying in the house after what had happened. She had also managed to rent a car to use, and now she was trying to see if she could reach the hospital where Devin Sterling was being held. She had hoped that maybe Danielle would have come back some time during the night, but she didn't. It was possible Devin had some idea of where she could be, but he could still be completely out if it. He was just brought in yesterday after all…

"How may I help you?" a male voice on the other end answered. It seemed familiar…

"Ah, yes, this is Alexandra Roivas. I was wondering if it's possible to see Devin Sterling."

"Huh? Alex? Ah, hold on one second." There was a pause, followed by sounds of typing. "Not really supposed to do this, but I'll make an exception for an old friend… Sterling, Sterling… Here it is. He's in stable condition now, but Inspector Legrasse has ordered there not to be any visitors… There was a Danielle Roivas who came by yesterday, but that's the only civilian Legrasse has allowed inside—Wait a second, since when have you had a sister?"

Alex blinked a few times in surprise, then realized why the voice was so familiar. She was talking to Ian, a friend of hers from high school! "Well, it's a bit of a long story really. I actually found out about it two years ago."

"Ah… I get it now. Sterling is an adoptive surname." Ian stopped speaking for a minute, but Alex could hear him conversing with someone else. When he came back on the line, he was speaking in a hushed voice. "Legrasse just left. If there's a time you want to come visit Devin, it should be now. I think you can slip in without any of the staff really noticing. A nurse won't be back into his room for about another hour if my memory serves correctly."

Alex nodded unconsciously, snatching the keys for the rental car off of the counter. "I'm on my way then. Thanks for the help, Ian."

"Hey, anything for an old friend, even if it means risking losing my job," he replied with a light tone in his voice. "I won't be able to talk to you at the hospital, though. Things are pretty hectic. Maybe I'll catch up with you later."

"Okay. I owe you one, Ian."

"No you don't. You owe me two," he said with a slight chuckle. "Bye, Alex."

Alex hung up the phone, setting it in its receiver as she walked out of the door into the crisp afternoon. A slight breeze blew strands of her blond hair around as she headed for the car. She stopped before she reached it, glancing around, a feeling of being watched coming over her. She thought she saw shapes shifting around in the shadows of the house in the lot across from the Sterling household, but she wasn't positive. It was almost like someone or something was watching her eagerly… Swallowing hard, Alex quickly got into the car, starting it up and heading for the hospital.

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Devin Sterling was lying in his bed awake, staring up at the dull white ceiling above him, the sounds of the voices outside of his door as nurses and doctors went by their business in the hospital. He was deep in thought about everything that had been happening to him lately. It wasn't every day that a person found out that they were chosen to be the Liche for an ancient and terrible monster. In the days following his encounter with Pious, he had been confused, angry, and scared. He never wanted to be involved in something like this, and the idea that his adopted sister was the Liche of the Ancient of Insanity was even worse. He felt useless that he couldn't even protect her.

_You can't change the past. You know that. You just have to accept that. But you can do something to help her at least._

He nodded slightly, sitting up in his bed. His little sister would need his help for what was happening. He had no idea exactly of what was going on, but he knew it was bad. Innocents were in danger, and that was enough motivation he needed to try and find a way to help the good guys.

_Or girls, I should say. Two sisters against the Ancients… And now that I'm involved in all of this stuff, they'll at least be able to get some help. If only we really knew what we're up against. All I really even know is that Mantorok is up to something, and that's it. And Legrasse… There's something that guy's hiding. We have to be careful around him._

He stretched his muscles very slightly, ignoring the twinges of pain from the injuries that covered him. He was healing at an extraordinary rate, the doctors said, but they still wanted him to be very careful so he wouldn't hurt himself more. They weren't sure when they would be able to release him from the hospital, though. He just wished he could hurry up and get out…

_I wonder if Danielle is going to come by. I need to talk to her some more about what's going on, not to mention there's a whole lot we need to catch up on. We're going to have to start planning what we're going to do about the Ancients._

The door opened slightly, and a young woman with blond hair worn back and blue eyes poked her head into the room. "Devin?"

Instinctively, his body tensed up. "Uh, yeah, that's me. Who're you?"

She stepped into the room, gently closing the door behind her while looking at Devin. "Alexandra Roivas. You know my sister, Danielle. She was adopted by your parents, if I remember what she told me correctly."

As she said this, Devin recognized the resemblance. Their eyes were the same. The same blue color and calm determination. "Danielle's older sister… I see…" Devin tilted his head slightly to the chair next to his bed, indicating for her to sit down. "I wasn't aware she had one."

"Well, it's a bit of a long story," Alex replied, walking over to the chair and sitting down, fidgeting nervously. Something was wrong. "Have you heard anything from Danielle today?"

Devin frowned slightly, a feeling of dread building up inside of him. "No… Why?"

"I got a call from her last night. Something happened, and the phone cut off. I got here as fast as I could, but when I went to her house, she was gone. The fuses had been switched off in the circuit breaker, and the door was unlocked."

The feeling of dread grew larger inside Devin. It sounded like someone had snuck in and went after Danielle. But who? The Ancients? It seemed unlikely that they would do something as elaborate as that, not to mention he didn't think they currently had the power to do too much right now. Perhaps… "Legrasse… He must have done something."

Alex leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Legrasse? What do you mean?"

Devin locked eyes with her. Alex would know about the Ancients, he was sure of it. If Danielle did, then her older sister did, too. Alex was one of the few people he could trust. "He's up to something. I don't know what, but it has to do with the Ancients." He ignored the small gasp of surprise that Alex let out, continuing on. "If it wasn't him, then it may have been some fanatical cult that follows them. I have no idea really." Devin shifted slightly, being careful with the IV attached to his arm. "I just know that she's in a lot of danger every second she's on her own."

Alex looked surprised. "How do you know about them?"

"Like I told Danielle, Pious tried to turn me against her. Told me a bit about the Ancients. I got away as fast as I could, and I had to stay hidden for a while. Nearly two years later, when I tried to come back and tell Danielle about one of the cults I discovered trying to bring the Ancients back, I was attacked by these people in black cloaks. Didn't say who they were. But their power… They weren't ordinary people, I can tell you that much."

Now Alex looked deadly serious. "There was a woman there at your parents' old house. She defeated Ulyaoth's monsters that came after me. She knows who Danielle is, said I'd have to find her myself. Do you think they have her?"

Devin closed his eyes. Servants of Ulyaoth were inside the house? Maybe they did get Danielle… but he would think that she would have been able to get away before they took her out. "It's possible. I'm not sure why they would want her, though." He looked at Alex. "Do you still have the Tome?" Alex nodded, patting her plain black school bag. "Good. Don't let anyone take it, especially _him._"

The Tome of Eternal Darkness was an ancient book that recorded the history of the Chosen, those who fought against the Ancients. It stored magickal runes and even items. If it fell into Legrasse's hands…

_Speak of the Devil._

The door to the room had opened, and Legrasse himself stepped inside. He looked mildly surprised. "Miss Roivas? I didn't expect to see you here."

Alex stood up slowly. "I was just about to leave, actually. I wanted to see how Devin was doing."

"Is that so? I see… Have you talked to Danielle yet?"

"No. Haven't even seen her." Devin could tell Alex was suspicious, but she hid it well enough that Legrasse didn't notice it.

Legrasse shrugged slightly. "Well, tell her to see me if you get in touch with her. I need to ask a few questions, that's all."

"Yeah, I'll tell her." Alex nodded to both Devin and Legrasse before leaving the room. Legrasse looked towards Devin, his eyes narrowing, before walking out of the room.

Devin sighed softly, lying down in his bed once more. Legrasse knew something was up. Hopefully Alexandra Roivas would be able to find Danielle before it was too late.

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Danielle had slept through most of the day, her body recovering from its injuries. The few times she had been woken up was by Elena when she would check Danielle's injuries or bring her something to eat and drink.

Now Danielle had changed into her clothes that she figured was taken from her bag, fully awake and feeling a lot better than she did before. Her arm and head still hurt, but it wasn't too noticeable. As long as she took it easy, she'd be fine.

Danielle tied her shoes, thinking about when she had been in the hospital two years ago. Hadn't her recovery rate been a bit above normal? Now that she thought about it, she had always been a fast healer. Now she knew why. It was because she was a Liche…

Her right hand twitched slightly at the thought, and she stood up straight, staring at herself in Elena's mirror over her dresser. Now wasn't the time to think about something like that.

_Think about something else, anything else, like how you need to get better shirts then what you have on right now…_

Actually, she had a point with that. She could have at least packed some better clothes than what she had on now. She wore a blue T-shirt with a llama on it in white saying "Sweet Action". It was an odd shirt, but she had got it from a church camp she went to. Her blue jeans were a bit tattered, since they got tore up often while skateboarding.

The door opened, and Elena stepped into the room. Once more, she wore her dark suit. Danielle still wasn't sure what side Rufus Shinra and his Turks were on. It was true that they wanted to fight against the Ancients, but they wouldn't hesitate to kill her if they needed to. They were impossible to figure out, complete enigmas. There were so many questions Danielle wanted to ask, but she knew she wasn't going to get any answers.

"Come on. The boss wants to talk to you."

Danielle followed her silently out the room, the questions still swirling in her mind. From what she could tell, Rufus had a lot of money. His group was well financed, but how was he getting the money? Did he have some sort of company, or were unknown benefactors helping?

Danielle was led into an office where Reno, Rude, and a man with long black hair were standing around a mahogany desk. If Danielle remembered right, the man was called Tseng… Rufus himself was sitting behind the desk, his hands clasped together under his chin. "Please have a seat, Miss Roivas."

Danielle sat in the chair in front of the desk, heart beating rapidly. She felt like she was back in high school when she would get called to the office, wondering if the principal was about to suspend her or something. Elena went to stand beside Tseng, all five of them staring at Danielle now. Rufus locked eyes with Danielle, not moving. "I have discovered that Legrasse has moved Devin to a new location. Tseng has informed me that your sister visited him in the hospital. This may be why Legrasse moved him. Right now, he's being held in a place you should be familiar with. We are planning on extracting him tonight."

Danielle gripped the arms of the chair tightly. "I want to go with you."

"I know you do. I'd be surprised if you didn't. But are you up for it? I know you recover fast, but even you have your limits."

Danielle nodded. "Yeah, I'm up for it."

Rufus sat back. "Determined… Good. You'll want to know where we're going first." His eyes narrowed. "For reasons unknown, Legrasse has brought Devin to the Roivas Estate."

Danielle felt her throat constrict. The Roivas Estate.

The former home of her grandfather, the place where he was killed… and the place where her whole life had been turned upside down.


	9. Night Raid

Chapter 8: Night Raid

Never had she expected to step foot once again into the Roivas Estate. Ever since the night Pious was defeated, she had never returned. It hurt too much to think about what had happened here, what had taken place on that dark night…

"Hey, you okay?" Reno asked, stepping up beside her. He had become a lot nicer to her ever since she had agreed to help them. He had even apologized for when he had fought her and electrocuted her with his rod…

"Yeah, I'm fine." Danielle didn't look at him as she answered, focusing on the darkened Roivas Estate. It didn't look like anyone was inside. How accurate was the information? Was Legrasse really here holding Devin captive?

Rufus turned to face them, his expression unreadable behind his sapphire blue eyes. "You know what to do. Once inside, we'll move quickly and quietly through the house. Each of you has your assigned area to check. As soon as you find anything, report back to the foyer. Understood?"

The Turks all replied with a sharp "Yes, sir!" while Danielle merely nodded her head. Rufus turned towards the entrance, going to open the double wooden doors. They were unlocked, revealing darkness beyond them. Danielle was about to follow Rufus in, but Elena placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back, pulling out a handgun from within the jacket of her suit. "You may not need this, but keep it with you just in case. I trust you know how to use it?"

Danielle stared at the pistol Elena had placed in her hands, recognizing it instantly. A standard Beretta 9mm with a small light clipped onto it. When her adoptive father would bring her with him to the shooting range, this was what she would usually use most of the time. "Yeah, I've used one before. Thanks, Elena."

The young woman nodded, a serious look on her face now as she followed the rest of the Turks inside the Roivas Estate. Danielle went in behind her, the Beretta held in her gloved right hand. The foyer was dark, barely illuminated by the soft moonlight. They had been ordered not to use their flashlights unless absolutely necessary, and even then they were to cover the light so that they wouldn't be spotted easily.

The others were already heading to their assigned areas, moving stealthily and blending into the shadows around them. They were good. When it came to a mission, they were deadly serious about doing everything perfectly. They had checked over everything countless times, continuously running the plan with her to make sure she understood it perfectly. They obviously were concerned with not making any mistakes during a mission…

Danielle ignored the thoughts, opening the door to the basement. It was pitch black. She felt along her handgun, finding the switch for the light and turning it on while hooding the light with her hand. Carefully, she proceeded down the steps, pointing the handgun around. Everything was exactly the same as when Alex and she had last entered. Danielle shined the light on a wooden door to her left, going over her mental map of the area. Maybe she was wrong, but she had the feeling she knew exactly where Devin was being held.

A small room was past the door, a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling but turned off. She didn't bother searching for a light switch, shining the dim light of her flashlight on the hole in the floor with a ladder leading down into darkness. Danielle's heart pounded in anxiety as she checked to make sure the Beretta's safety was on before slipping it in the waistband of her jeans. She gripped the ladder rungs tightly, the steel cold on her uncovered fingers on both hands. She couldn't see how far down the ground was, and the darkness around her seemed to press in and suffocate her. Danielle fought to calm her nerves as she descended deep into the darkness, the sound of her feet hitting metal echoing softly in the ominous silence. When her feet finally touched down on stone instead of steel, she knew she had finally arrived at the bottom and let out a breath of relief, pulling out the handgun and hooding the light slightly as she looked around.

Steps spiraled downwards into the darkness, and Danielle carefully and cautiously went down them. The air tasted stale, and there was an unnerving silence all around. She stopped as she came to a balcony to her left, unable to help looking out over the edge. Below her lay a sprawling metropolis illuminated by an ethereal light.

Ehn'gha. The Guardian City.

Danielle turned away, now heading back to the steps and continuing her descent. Years ago, her grandfather had wiped out the servants of Chattur'gha that had once inhabited its streets. In revenge, a Guardian had murdered him the very night she had learned the truth about her origins. On that dark night two years ago, Alex and Danielle had stopped Pious and Chattur'gha using the power of the nine spires within Ehn'gha. Now it was an abandoned relic, all that remained of a great civilization that existed long ago. Somewhere in this city could be Legrasse and Devin. She would never be able to search all of it on her own, but she had the feeling she knew where they would be.

She finally came to a damaged bridge leading to a large gate. The scent of blood hung in the air, and she didn't need to look over the edge of the bridge to see the lake of crimson that was below. Danielle felt a wave of nausea pass over her, and she fell to her knees, shaking. She suddenly felt violently sick, her insides twisting up.

"How does it feel? The very magick inside of you is causing all of this torture." Danielle didn't look up, but she knew who was behind her. "Your brother is safe inside the Roivas Estate. Shinra and his Turks should have found him by now and will be searching for you. But they will never find you. Not in time. You've fallen right into my trap."

Danielle gritted her teeth, somehow mustering the strength to stand to her feet. She staggered around, facing Legrasse now. He stood with a smug grin on his face, hands in the pockets of his tan trench coat. "I should have known," she growled weakly.

"Yes, you should have. You're stupider than I thought for the great Liche of Xel'lotath. Of course, I'm aware that you won't come with me willingly." He snapped his fingers, and a strange cracking sound came from behind Danielle. Slowly, she turned around, holding her pistol in a hand that had suddenly gone numb.

Two stone carvings were perched on either side of the gate, but Danielle hadn't noticed them when she came in. Now that she thought about it, she didn't recall seeing them there the first time she had been to Ehn'gha, even if it was two years ago. The stone gargoyles were shaking, rock shedding from their forms. When Danielle saw the black patches beneath the stone, she instantly knew that these statues were alive. The gargoyles shook off the rest of the stone, stretching out their long wings before looking down at Danielle with glowing yellow eyes.

_Oh shoot… This is _not _good._

The gargoyles leapt from their perches, folding back their wings and diving down with ear-splitting screeches. Danielle barely had time to duck beneath their viciously sharp claws, adrenaline rushing through her. She brought up her handgun, pulling the trigger. The shot passed right over the first gargoyle's head, and it growled at her, drool dripping from its fangs.

Danielle knew she was trapped. Legrasse stood blocking the only exit out of Ehn'gha, and there was no way she could outrun the gargoyles within the city itself. How many rounds did a Beretta hold? Fifteen… She only had fourteen shots to defeat the monsters and Legrasse.

Both of them dived down once again, and Danielle rapidly pulled the trigger. The bullets found their mark, black liquid streaming behind the gargoyles as they flew. They weren't even fazed, making Danielle's heart race even faster. Having lost count of how many rounds she fired, she pulled the trigger as fast as she could now. A lucky shot pierced the eye of one gargoyle, sending it careening into its partner before plummeting into the crimson lake below.

Danielle jerked the Beretta to the left, pulling the trigger. That was when the last sound she even wanted to hear right now reached her ears. The sound of a weapon dry-firing. She was out of ammo.

As if it was aware of her predicament, the gargoyle's lips twisted into a cruel smile. It dove at her again, but Danielle's instincts completely took over as she sidestepped, shooting out her right leg to kick at its head. Pain lanced through her leg slightly as her foot slammed into its skull, making it fall to the ground. It got to its feet, shaking its head and screeching so loud that Danielle actually had to cover her ears. She dropped the Beretta, wincing as the monster flew at her, slashing with its claws in a horizontal swipe. She moved her head back just in time, the attack passing right over her face. She ducked down, slamming her fist into its gut, but ended up crying out in pain herself as a shock from hitting such hard flesh ran up her bone. As she looked up into the gargoyle's face, it actually smiled, latching onto her wrist with an iron grip. Danielle couldn't pull away as it opened its mouth, drool dripping from its fangs. Without warning, a powerful blast of dark energy slammed into her at the same time the beast released her. Danielle flew backwards from the force of the attack, crashing to the stone floor with a slight cry of pain near her dropped Beretta. The light shined into her face, slightly blinding her as she looked around.

Danielle felt claws grab her under her arms, latching on with the same iron grip that had grabbed onto her wrist just seconds before. The gargoyle flapped its massive wings, rising into the air with Danielle in its claws. Danielle struggled to pull away, but the claws dug even deeper into her flesh, drawing blood. She looked down, spotting Legrasse watching her with that same smug grin. She was several feet in the air, and even if she did get free, chances were that the fall would hurt her so bad that she really wouldn't be able to escape…

A flicker of movement came from near the staircase that led out of Ehn'gha, attracting her attention. As she looked over in that direction, a loud crack resounded through the air, and the gargoyle's arms twitched violently before releasing Danielle. She let out a cry of surprise as she fell towards the ground. Strong, gentle hands caught her before she slammed into the ground. Danielle looked up in surprise, seeing Reno's face above her with a slight smile on it, but his eyes were filled with concern. "You're just a magnet for trouble, aren't you?" he asked as he set her down on her feet.

"Uh, y-yeah, apparently I am. Don't know why though," Danielle stammered, still in surprise. She looked around, spotting the others Turks. Rude and Tseng were helping someone to walk, Elena had out her handgun, and Rufus stood at the forefront of the group with a double-barreled shotgun drawn.

Screeching filled the air as a dark shape flew up past the bridge, joining the gargoyle that had picked up Danielle. It was the first gargoyle!

"These things are pretty tough," Danielle heard Reno mutter. "Not much can take a shotgun and couple of handgun blasts…"

Legrasse chuckled softly, still standing between the rest of the Turks and Danielle and Reno. "These beats take more than those pathetic weapons you have in order to kill them. Even the great race that once inhabited this city had problems, but of course, they at least had the means to kill them." He chuckled again, then his expression grew serious. "So, you are the leader," he muttered, looking towards Rufus. "No wonder you sent her down here. You knew it would draw me out." A scowl appeared on his face. "I should have known, but no matter. I'll get all three of you at once!"

The gargoyles screeched once more, and one dived down at Danielle. Reno pushed her behind him, readying his rod. As the beast came in, he slammed the weapon against the side of its head, sending electricity surging into its body. It hissed in pain, flying up again and diving down with even greater speed. But as the gargoyle stretched out its viciously sharp claws, a massive shape shot by in the blink of an eye, slamming into the gargoyle and engulfing it before vanishing as fast as it had come. Muffled screeches were heard but soon cut off by a sickening crunch. The second gargoyle looked over in confusion before a stream of fire completely engulfed it.

Danielle saw the look of fear in Legrasse's face as she searched for the source of the fire. A winged shape darted behind one of the towering structures, vanishing from sight. When Danielle looked forward once again, she noticed that Legrasse, too, was gone.

Reno lowered his rod, looking down at Danielle. "Come on," he said quietly, a nervous look in his eyes.

Danielle nodded only slightly, wondering what was going on. What was that creature that had killed the gargoyles? How had the Turks known she was down here? Nothing made sense!

"Danielle?" She looked up as she heard Devin's voice, realizing that he was the one Tseng and Rude had helped to walk down here. He pulled away from the two men, taking a step towards her, his eyes filled with joy and concern at the same time.

Suddenly, Danielle felt very young and very scared. She ran into her older brother's open arms, unable to hold back the tears as she embraced him tightly. He whispered gentle words of comfort to her as he stroked her hair, his powerful arms holding her in a soft embrace.

Not for the first time, Danielle wished that none of the stuff with the Ancients had ever happened, and that she could have her normal life back once more.


	10. An Uneasy Peace

Chapter 9: An Uneasy Peace

Alex rubbed her eyes, feeling exhausted, leaning against the kitchen counter. She hadn't been able to find any leads as to where Danielle was all day long. She was extremely worried now. It had been a full day since the last time she had heard from her little sister. What could have happened?

She glanced at the clock, aware of how late it was now. Chances were Danielle wasn't going to be walking in anytime soon…

_Or maybe not ever again…_

Alex immediately pushed the thought out of her mind, standing up straight and pouring out the class of water she had been drinking into the sink. She couldn't think like that. She couldn't give up hope that Danielle was alive.

_But it's possible she isn't… The Ancients could have got her…_

Alex shook her head, not even aware that tears were trickling slowly down her face. "I can't lose her… I can't lose Danielle…" she whispered. She jerked her head up at the sound of knocking on the door, and she set down the plastic cup, heading over to it while wiping her face with trembling hands. As she unlocked and opened the door, she couldn't help but let out a gasp of shock. Standing there beside a young man with spiked black hair around Alex's age and five people in suits was none other than her little sister. "D-Danielle…?"

Danielle looked up at her, a weak and tired smile on her face. "Yeah, it's me… Long time no see, huh…?"

Alex didn't answer, flinging her arms around her sister. "I was so worried Danielle! I thought you were dead!" she cried out, tears running down her face even more than before.

"But I'm not. Don't go down that easily, you know?" she answered in a soft voice, trying to keep her tone light. "I owe these guys my life, believe it or not… They ended up saving both Devin and me…"

Alex looked up at them, taking note of the four in black suits and the man who seemed to be their leader, one in an expensive three-piece white suit. A young man with jet black hair wearing a ruined Navy T-shirt and tattered blue jeans stood with the support of one of the suited people, looking up at Alex with green eyes. He smiled gently, and Alex felt her heart skip a beat.

_Devin… It's really Devin… I can't believe it. I almost forgot that he was the one I went out with in high school…_

Alex opened the door all the way for them to enter, feeling numb as she stepped aside to let them in. She had so many questions to ask, but not a single one came out when she tried to speak. The last one to enter was a red-haired man, and he shut and locked the door behind him.

The leader turned to face Alex now, an unnerving look in his sapphire blue eyes. "I apologize for dropping in so abruptly. We had no other choice."

Alex shook her head a bit, watching as Danielle helped the black-haired man get Devin over to a couch to sit down. "It's all right… I'm really glad you saved my sister… But what happened? Where has she been all this time, and what happened to Devin?" As she looked back, she saw that he was still looking at her.

"It seems that I have some explaining to do… For all of you. Sit down, and I'll tell you what I know about recent events as best as I can."

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Alex sat to the right of Danielle, listening silently as Rufus Shinra finished his explanation, her heart beating rapidly. Everything was happening way too fast for her liking. The Ancients were back? Chattur'gha was never really killed? Mantorok wanted to kill the three who had the power of the Ancients running through them in order to revive himself? This was absolutely perfect.

_And this guy and his little friends happen to know all of this when only very few even know about the existence of the Ancients… That's definitely not right._

Rufus sat back in the recliner he was in, the one that had been Danielle's adoptive father's favorite chair. "I understand that you may not trust my colleagues and myself, but believe me when I say that we are on the same side, fighting a common enemy."

Alex frowned, glancing to her left at Devin and Danielle. Devin looked a bit reluctant to trust this guy, but it looked like Danielle already trusted him. Personally, Alex was just a bit suspicious. "But just who are you guys? I doubt you're just some small group of vigilantes who somehow randomly found out about the Ancients and decided to fight them."

"You're correct, Miss Roivas. We aren't."

Now Alex frowned, getting a bit ticked off. Why wouldn't he just tell them? Was he trying to hide something from them? "Then why don't you just tell us who you really are then?"

A flicker of annoyance passed through Rufus's face. "That is for another time. We have more pressing matters to attend to. Now that you are aware of the Ancients' plans, what will you do?"

Alex looked at Danielle and Devin once more. Devin had his arms folded, apparently deep in thought. "Of course I'll help with trying to fight them, but it won't be easy. I don't know about you guys, but we have our normal lives to live. Heck, everyone thought I was dead, and then I suddenly show up again. I'm going to have to be doing a couple of things to get this all settled straight. I know stopping the Ancients takes top priority, but we have to avoid raising anyone's suspicions. After all, if anyone heard about this, they'd think we were crazy and have us thrown into the loony bin."

"He's right," Alex added, still frowning. "I have to work to support both Danielle and me now, even though the insurance companies do give us some money…" She paused, trying to push the thought of her parents' death out of her mind, a concerned look on her face. "The only thing I'm not sure about… I don't want Danielle to get involved in this, not after what happened last time."

Alex peered over at her younger sister, trying to read the expression on Danielle's face. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking as she stared down at the wooden floor. Alex looked up at Rufus now, his expression just as difficult to read as Danielle's.

"I do believe it's your sister's decision, Miss Roivas, not yours. Whether she wants to help or not is Danielle's choice."

"I don't care!" she shot back, now on her feet. "It's my little sister you're talking about! I've nearly lost her three times already, and I don't want to take the chance of her getting killed!" Alex couldn't control her emotions, overwhelmed by the need to protect her only remaining family.

Rufus replied in a cool tone of voice, still unreadable. "I understand your concerns, but as I said before, this is your sister's decision." He averted his gaze, looking towards Danielle now. "Danielle? What would you like to do?"

Danielle slowly looked up, and Alex felt a shiver run up her spine. The look in her eyes was one Alex had seen before. It was the look of someone haunted by their past and filled with a deep sorrow. Alex had seen it when Danielle was recovering in the hospital and on the night she had…

Alex pushed the thought out of her mind faster than she had the thought of her parents' death as she watched Danielle slowly stand up and walk out of the room without a single word. Her shoulders slumped slightly, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "Danielle…"

Rufus's eyes narrowed, and he gave the slightest of nods to the two Turks on either side of him, Elena and Reno. They were silent as they followed after Danielle. "Miss Roivas… Alexandra… You must understand how your sister feels…"

Alex looked back at him, anger in her voice. "What, are you saying you know my sister more than I even do?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. You know what she is, what she's been through. Have you ever considered that she's never gotten over the guilt of killing her adoptive parents, even if she wasn't in control?"

Alex paused, a confused suspicion welling up inside. Before she could speak, Devin asked the very question that was on Alex's mind. "How do you know about what happened…?"

There was a flicker of emotion in Rufus's eyes, gone so fast Alex couldn't tell what it was. Pity? Regret?

"I know much about the Ancients and those chosen to fight them. Ellia, Paul… Even you, Alexandra. That is also how I know about Danielle's actions. Your sister lives with a terrible guilt that has not once left her in the two years since that night. You may not see it, but it's there. I'm aware she even gave up hope and tried to stop it… the pain, the guilt…"

Alex's suspicions rose, mixing with the sadness that the memory that came to mind brought. "Just what are you trying to get at?"

Rufus closed his eyes briefly, lowering his head. "What I am saying is this. Danielle can choose if she wants to fight or not. She wants to make up for what she's done. Think of it as her repentance…" He looked up, locking eyes with Alex. "Her shot at redemption."

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Danielle rested her forehead against the cool glass of her bedroom's window. The lights were off, the only illumination coming from the soft glow of the moon outside. She felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. A slight throb in the left side of her head just wouldn't go away, and the entire left side of her body was sore.

The door behind Danielle opened and closed softly, feet shuffling on the Indian blue carpet underfoot. She didn't need to look back to know that two people had entered her bedroom, but she didn't know who. Right now, she didn't really care…

"You know, even with all the stuff the boss has told us about you, I'd never understand you even if I lived a hundred more years." It was Reno's voice. "Why do you keep everything to yourself? Why do you hide yourself from your own family? Why do you keep running?"

When Danielle didn't reply, Reno let out an exasperated sigh. "You keep hiding, eventually everyone will stop looking. Is that what you want, to be alone?"

Danielle hesitated before slowly looking back over her shoulder. Reno and Elena stood right behind her, both of them staring right at her. "Just go—"

Elena grabbed her wrist lightning fast, holding it up in the moonlight. Confusion filled Danielle at first until her gaze fell on the thin scar on her wrist. Elena's fingers were warm on her cold and clammy skin. "I saw it and never got a really good look at it at first, but now I know…" Her warm fingers clamped down even tighter. "You slit your wrists. Why?"

"You don't know what it's like… to be driven insane… tortured… Thought I would be better off… because I killed them…"

Elena shook her head, a hard edge in her voice, but there was something below that. She was concerned. "You need to just get over it and move on! It wasn't your fault, so stop wallowing in self-pity! You really think that's going to help anybody, especially your family?"

Danielle was so surprised that she was snapped out of her pensive state. Elena released her wrist now, dropping her hand to her side. "What are you going to do, Danielle? Are you just going to keep running?" she asked, locking eyes with her.

Danielle hesitated, not really sure how to answer. She hadn't expected this, getting caught off guard. The two Turks had a point, and they knew it. They had her exactly where they wanted her. Where would running get her? She had tried to escape her past for two years and only succeeded in digging herself into a deeper hole. But she didn't even know what to do if she really did stop running.

"I… I just don't know what to do…" she admitted quietly.

Reno piped up now. "We can't help you make that decision, but the answer's pretty obvious if you ask me."

Danielle's eyes searched back and forth as she turned Reno's words over in her mind. That was when her gaze fell upon a necklace on her desk. It was a necklace that had a wooden cross along with a white dragon, a gift from Alex. As she stared at it, she finally made up her mind. She wouldn't run anymore.

Danielle looked back at the two Turks, determination filling her. "I'm not going to run. Not anymore. I'll help stop the Ancients, no matter what. I owe my family that much."

Elena seemed satisfied, and Reno smirked. "Good. Now I think maybe you should tell everyone your decision," the red-haired Turk said, his tone light.

"Yeah, I do." Danielle snatched up the necklace, putting it on so it accompanied the chain with her grandfather's ring that she already wore. Faith had restored her when all hope had seemed lost. She easily lost sight of that fact and ended up getting lost in the darkness.

_Not anymore. I'm not alone. I'm never alone._

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Alex had sat down beside Devin, the tense silence in the room making her feel restless and unable to sit still. Rufus had told her all that he thought she needed to know. Over and over she fretted over the information, worrying about Danielle's decision. Rufus expected a lot out of them, especially Danielle. Alex and Devin would work together, but Danielle was on her own. Even if the Turks were there to back her up, they would only go in if Danielle called for help. What would happen if they arrived too late?

_There's a chance she won't even accept, but I know she will. I know it because if I were in her place, I would go, too._

Footsteps creaked on the wooden floor, and Alex snapped her head sideways to see Danielle flanked by the two Turks, Elena and Reno. Taking a single look into her little sister's eyes, she knew what decision Danielle had reached. She had the same determination Alex had felt on the night they discovered the truth behind their grandfather Edward's death and fought against Pious Augustus.

Danielle's voice was firm as she spoke, staring right at Rufus. "I'm in. What do you need me to do?"


	11. Oublie Cathedral

Chapter 10: Oublié Cathedral

_If someone had told me I'd be flying to France on a mission to investigate an enigmatic cult that may be trying to bring an Ancient into this world a week ago, I would have thought they were crazy… After all, Alex and I thought they were finished for good._

Danielle stared out the window of the Boeing 747 that she was aboard, but she couldn't fall asleep despite how tired she was. While she had never flown internationally, she was well aware of the severe case of jet lag she would suffer from.

"You should get some sleep," Elena suggested, startling Danielle out of her thoughts. She sat in the seat beside Danielle, barely looking fatigued at all. Behind them, Reno was fast asleep, his soft snores lost to the gently hum of the plane. Rude, who sat beside him, seemed to be staring off into space, his eyes hidden behind his dark sunglasses. The seat behind him was occupied by Tseng, who was reading over some documents. Rufus had stayed behind in the States with Alex and Devin to help them. Already Danielle could tell this would be dangerous. She had seen it in Rufus's eyes, even though he hadn't said much about what dangers could be lying hidden in her destination.

_Zombies shambling down the corridors, mindlessly searching for victims… Trappers waiting to hear intruders approach… Horrors guarding the corridors with their three heads filled with vicious teeth… Bonethieves biding their time inside their hosts and preparing themselves to take another… And somehow they're the worst of all because they could easily take control of you just like they could anyone else…_

"Not really tired," Danielle finally replied, eliciting a chuckle from Elena.

"Either you learn to lie better or just stop trying to altogether. I can tell something is on your mind."

Once again, she was amazed at how quickly the Turks had changed from the people she had fought when they tried to capture her to "friends" of sorts. She was still a bit cautious around them. "Uh… Well…"

"Thinking about what the boss said?" she asked softly.

Danielle sighed, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "I suppose… Yeah, I am. I'm scared." She looked forward. "I'm worried about what may be in there… What I'll have to face on my own…"

"That's understandable." Elena closed her eyes, leaning her head back. "Television and books make something like this seem so interesting and exciting. In reality, that's far from being the truth. Even if you weren't dealing with monsters, it would still be nerve-wracking. For me, my problem was being too eager. I wanted to do my best and show off my skills to the others." She let out a slight chuckle. "I ended up messing up pretty bad as a result. That's why the others say I always talk too much. I ended up letting something really important slip and nearly botched the whole job."

Danielle allowed a chuckle herself, but her grin soon fell away. There was a nagging thought in the back of her mind that just wouldn't go away. No matter how easy the mission seemed, something always went wrong.

_That,__ or I'm reading too many books, _she thought to herself, staring down at the book in her lap that she had been reading lately. Reading helped take her mind off of a lot of things, but these days, even reading the three Alex Rider books she had for the second time in the row didn't do anything to help.

Stormbreaker, Point Blank, _and_ Skeleton Key. _They may be fiction, but I'm positive that just like in these stories, something always goes wrong at the worst possible time. One different though. This isn't some book. It's real life, and the stakes are much higher._

Elena rested her hand gently on Danielle's shoulder. "Just get some rest, Danielle. You need it."

Danielle sighed softly and slipped her book into her backpack she had carried onboard with her. Her mind raced with the possibilities of what could happen, never stopping and never giving her a second to rest. She was terrified. Before she had been with her sister when she had first encountered the servants of the Ancients, but now there was a chance she would run into them and be all on her own…

She turned over slightly, her head resting on the seat itself. Closing her eyes, she tried to will the thoughts out of her mind, even though it wasn't easy. Eventually, she did manage to slip into a light doze, dreaming once more of the strange meeting between her and her mirror self.

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"Never expected to spend part of Thanksgiving vacation in France," Danielle muttered, stifling a yawn.

Reno had his arms behind his head as they walked down the road, occasionally glancing around at the people who were staring at them and talking to each other in French. "Tell me about it. Makes me wish I had actually passed French class back in high school. I don't understand a word they're saying. Bet they think my hair looks weird." He shook his head, stifling a yawn. "Man, I'm never going to get used to jet lag. Anyhow, you sure about this Tseng? Don't you think these guys are going to be a bit suspicious if a college student from America suddenly comes up doing research on different religions and randomly happens to pick theirs?"

"Perhaps, but we're positive they'll believe her. Rufus set up a cover for her after conversing with them," Tseng replied.

"And if they don't?"

Tseng looked back at Reno. "Then we get her out of there. We've been over this before."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Reno stopped, his eyes narrowing as he looked at what lay ahead of them on the road. As Danielle followed his gaze, she felt her heart race painfully in her chest. There, off in the distance, was an ominous looking cathedral. She recognized it instantly from the painting that hung in her grandfather's secret study at the Roivas Estate.

"Oublié Cathedral…" she whispered. The very place where Anthony and Paul Luther had been killed. Where Peter Jacob had defeated the Grater Guardian of Chattur'gha and retrieved the Veil of Ulyaoth.

_And where I'm about to go…_

"I'm still not sure about this," she heard Reno say, the worry clear in his voice. "That place gives me the creeps, and I'm not even near it."

Tseng glanced over at Danielle, a serious look on his face. "Remember: Keep that radio with you at all times. We'll be able to hear everything that goes on, and we'll only contact you if it's absolutely necessary."

Danielle nodded, gripping the radio that was hidden beneath her T-shirt. "Right." She stared down the dirt road that led to the cathedral, the whole town a reminder of days long past. At least, that's how it was to her. Taking a deep breath, she started forward. It was time to find out just what was going on.

--------------------------------------------------

Danielle couldn't shake the dark feeling that came over her as she stepped through the massive wooden doors into the foyer of Oublié Cathedral. A man in an ornately decorated red robe with silver lining stepped forward, his arms outspread. "Bienvenue à la cathédrale d'Oublie."

Danielle blinked a few times, trying to brush up on her French but failing miserably. "Sorry, I don't speak French."

"Ah, you are the American? Forgive me," the man apologized in a heavily accented voice. "I am Voltaire Augustine, the leader of this fine church. May I ask your name?"

"Danielle Sterling," she replied, using her adoptive surname as Rufus had told her to. She had instantly grown suspicious. Augustine was the same name Pious had used when he posed as the leader of the cathedral during Paul Luther's time…

"Here on vacation, yes?" Augustine smiled thinly. "Mr. Shinra told me. It is an honor that you have come. May I ask what for?"

_Guy's pretty fluent in English…_

"Just research for a report I'm doing on different small religions in Europe. Mr. Shinra sponsored me to come here."

Augustine seemed to be considering this. "I see… we are honored to be featured in such a report. Because of our small size, we are rather unknown in these parts. The stories about this great cathedral do not help much either. Tell me, do you have accommodations elsewhere?" Danielle shook her head. "Then feel free to stay here. We have a small room in the south tower for you to stay in. It is not often that we have guests here."

"Uh, thank you. Think I can go there now? I've had a long flight."

With a slight bow, Augustine motioned for her to follow as they entered the massive sanctuary. People in simple black robes knelt in pews, their chants soft and in Latin. "Often the monks come here to pray. There are even those who spend every second they are awake here on their knees."

Danielle glanced at the altar silently, noting that there was nothing on the table. No sacraments, no religious icons… This seemed almost like Paul's chapter with the exception of there being no murder…

In the south tower, Augustine opened a door beneath the stairs, revealing a small plain room with a bed, desk, and bookshelf. The room was lit by a ceiling fixture on a fan. "Feel free to leave whenever you wish to go into town. If you require assistance, find any one of the monks here. They may speak broken English, but they will be able to help. Rest well, Miss Sterling."

As soon as he had left, Danielle set down her backpack and blue duffle bag. The radio Tseng had given her was still hidden completely beneath her T-shirt, so if those monks even thought about going through her bags, they wouldn't find anything suspicious.

_I can't go looking around just yet. I have to wait until nighttime… no matter how much I'm going to hate it._

She didn't bother taking off her shoes, lying down on the bed and closing her eyes. She gradually slipped into a doze, completely out of it from her jet lag.

_ "You must be careful, Roivas… Many dark secrets are hidden within this cathedral. While you may believe the evil that once resided here to be gone, it has returned even stronger than before. Do not let our deaths be in vain."_

"She is asleep…" an unfamiliar voice whispered from near Danielle's door. But to her, it was just another otherworldly voice in her dreams.

"Good. Then she will not struggle when we take her… Do it."

_"Uncover the secret that lies hidden here. Stop them before it's too late. Now awaken. Awaken, Guardian of Light!"_

Danielle's eyes opened suddenly, the feeling of someone looming over her incredibly strong. Danielle pushed off her bed, rolling over the side, just as she felt hands brush her back, grasping for her. She heard a startled cry of surprise, along with a low hiss that sent shivers up her spine. She jumped to her feet, one hand held over her left arm as she looked at the two monks who had entered her room. Something seemed off about them though. Their skin was too pale, and there was just something about them… Something inhuman. That was when she spotted something as one of them stretched their neck, something that Danielle recognized from her ancestor's medical journals. It was as if something was moving within the monk's neck.

_Bonethieves_

The one that had tried to grab her lunged forward again, and Danielle sidestepped before bringing her right leg around and kicking him in the face. He stumbled back only slightly, and that strange hiss was heard again.

_Aww__ shoot… I was right. I don't have any way to bring these guys down!_

The hairs on the back of Danielle's neck stood on end, and she instinctively ducked as a blade passed over her head. It seemed the first monk's buddy had thought to bring in a weapon. Danielle was at a major disadvantage. The second swung again, and Danielle ducked once more before kicking at her attacker's legs. He crashed to the floor with a cry, his blade clattering beside him. Danielle jumped out of the way of the first monk's arms as he tried to grab her again, snatching the sword up from the floor as she went by it. Danielle stood up straight, a bit surprised at heavy the sword was as she pointed it at the monks, trying to ignore the twinge of pain in her right hand and left arm.

"I see why no one ever comes here. You guys have some terrible hospitality," Danielle said out of the blue, trying to keep herself calm. The first monk growled in frustration, running at her now. Danielle brought the heavy sword around, managing a powerful strike to his chest. He ran past her before collapsing to the ground, not moving. With a cry of anger, his buddy charged forward as recklessly as he did. Danielle cried out slightly in surprise, trying to bring the sword up to defend herself. She felt a jolt as the man felled himself upon the blade, and when Danielle looked up into the man's face, she could almost see his life slip away from him. Danielle's hands shook as she pulled the blade out, stumbling back as the man's body fell to the floor.

_I killed them… I killed them both… No Bonethieves… These guys were human…_

Danielle suddenly felt sick, and she rested her forehead against the cold stone wall of the room, her insides churning. She had been wrong. There weren't Bonethieves. She had imagined it and ended up killing two normal people. She had never killed before, and even though she knew it had been in self-defense, it didn't help.

"Danielle? Danielle! Are you okay?" the frantic voice of Elena asked over the radio. Danielle didn't answer, to busy trying not to throw up and calm herself down. "Danielle!?"

"I… I'm fine…" she mumbled slightly, taking deep breaths. "I'm fine…"

"What happened?"

"Two guys tried to capture me. I… I killed them…"

Everything was silent for a minute before Elena spoke hesitantly. "I see… You've never killed a person before. I can tell by the sound of your voice."

Danielle shut her eyes, shaking a bit. "I don't… f-feel like talking about it, okay…?"

"I understand… Listen, we've got some bad news… The boss just got a call from Devin. He said that one of your friends has been kidnapped. Found it out when he went to the campus. Someone in red and silver robes got them."

An icy hand gripped Danielle's heart. "Who? Who did they take?" she whispered, filled with dread.

Elena paused before answering, seeming hesitant. "Rika Hikari."

Danielle leaned her forehead against the stone wall once more, feeling numb. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't. First she killed two people, and then her best friend was kidnapped?

_Red and silver robes, just like what Augustine wore. But we're in Europe! It must have been someone else, because no normal person could get there and get back here that fast! And why would anyone want to kidnap Rika? She didn't do anything!_

"Danielle?"

"Yeah… I'm here…" she replied, her own voice sounding distant and unfamiliar to her. She looked at her watch, calculating the time difference, since there was no window in the room. It would be night by now… She had best started looking around. "I'm going to check around the place…" Danielle said quietly, trying not to look at the bodies on the floor as she swallowed hard.

"Be careful, okay?" Elena sounded worried.

"I will…" Danielle placed one hand on the door handle, hesitating as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She didn't know what it was, but she definitely had a bad feeling.

_Behind me…_

There was a low hiss, one Danielle knew she wouldn't have heard if she had been any deeper into her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder, just as a blue shape lunged at her. She let out a startled cry and ducked down, hearing talons tear into the heavy wooden door. She looked up, right at the unmistakable form of an Ulyaoth Bonethief. Its eyeless head turned towards her as it landed on the floor, hissing again. Behind Danielle, she heard the tick of talons on stone.

_They were Bonethieves after all…! I was too stupid to make sure!_

Danielle gripped the sword, ignoring the spike of pain in her hand. The first creature leapt at her, but she swung the sword with two hands, cutting right through its neck as it passed over her. She scrambled to her feet, but not fast enough as the second Bonethief leapt onto her chest. "Gah!" she cried, dropping her sword and wrestling with the creature as it tried to tear at her chest with its wicked bladed arms. Using all of the strength she could muster, Danielle flung it to the ground, picking up the sword and bringing it right down through the head of the creature. She shuddered slightly at the jolt that ran through the blade and into her arms as it hit the stone floor. Danielle let the sword clatter to the ground as the Bonethief's corpse vanished, catching her breath.

"Danielle?"

"I'm good… Just had to take care of something…" Wearily, Danielle stood up straight, grabbing the sword slowly as she looked around the dark room. She turned away and pushed open the heavy wooden door, keeping her gaze away from the two long gashes in the wood as she walked into the small room that was once a smaller sanctuary. She wearily tried to go over her mental map of the cathedral from the chapters of Anthony, Paul Luther, and Peter Jacob, knowing that the passage to the catacombs had changed numerous times. She had trouble thinking straight though, feeling a bit fatigued even after how long she slept.

"Only one way to find out if that old passage is still good for getting to the catacombs anymore," she muttered softly to herself, heading for the door back to the sanctuary.

_Wherever you are, Rika, be safe. I'll find you somehow…_

Danielle pushed the wooden door open slowly, peering around the darkened sanctuary. The rows of pews facing the plain altar were all empty, devoid of the monks that had been there before. Her eyes flickered around the room quickly, her heart beginning to race. Something was watching her. She could feel it.

Doing her best to ignore the shifting shadows all around her, Danielle stepped through the doorway completely, her footsteps incredibly loud in the empty darkness around her.

Whatever was happening in Oublié Cathedral, Danielle was going to uncover the truth behind it, no matter what the cost.


End file.
